|
MP quits because £120,000 plus expenses is "intolerable".quote:
This article fails to point out that he's also getting £50,000 a year shilling for Private healthcare companies.
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 10:14
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 2, 2024 00:00 |
|
|
Simmonds' expenses totalled over £173,000 in 2013. He also voted strongly in favour of the benefit cap 
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 10:29
|
|
|
This is the best bit of that article:quote:Ruling out a family flat in central London, Mr Simmonds said that travelling from the “outer reaches of London” was not the lifestyle he wanted. He added: “the sacrifice to my family life has become intolerable.” IOW, he did get enough to live in nicer outlying parts of London and commute (like, you know, hundreds of thousands if not millions of people do), but his life simply wasn't worth living unless he could afford a big family house 5 minutes' walk from work in one of the most expensive areas in the world. Of course, he voted in favour of the bedroom tax and cutting funds to support people having difficulties with council tax, and against raising benefits in line with inflation or increasing sickness/disability benefits.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 10:36
|
|
|
Thatcher on a stamp. http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/aug/12/margaret-thatcher-prime-ministers-stamps-royal-mail Grauniad posted:Margaret Thatcher famously opposed the sale of the Royal Mail, insisting that she was "not prepared to have the Queen's head privatised". I want to say "At least they have Attlee". But the venom I have for Thatcher is not helping make that happen.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 11:00
|
|
|
Gonzo McFee posted:MP quits because £120,000 plus expenses is "intolerable". Hold on, just trying to work through the numbers here - isn't the £120,000 his salary plus his expenses? The income for an MP is £67,000. Do ministers get paid more, or are you including his income from Circle Healthcare in that?
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 11:00
|
|
|
Darth Walrus posted:Hold on, just trying to work through the numbers here - isn't the £120,000 his salary plus his expenses? The income for an MP is £67,000. Do ministers get paid more, or are you including his income from Circle Healthcare in that?
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 11:01
|
|
|
Darth Walrus posted:Hold on, just trying to work through the numbers here - isn't the £120,000 his salary plus his expenses? The income for an MP is £67,000. Do ministers get paid more, or are you including his income from Circle Healthcare in that? You're right, it's £120,000 with the expenses allowing for him to move his family to London, my mistake. Also in looking that up I found out that his wife was on his payroll at £25,000 a year.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 11:05
|
|
|
Gonzo McFee posted:You're right, it's £120,000 with the expenses allowing for him to move his family to London, my mistake. So they had a combined income of £160k per year? (Without the private healthcare 'consultancy' fees). And this little wankstain is complaining that he couldn't find somewhere nice to live? gently caress off then. You won't be missed.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 11:12
|
|
|
StoicFnord posted:Thatcher on a stamp. This should be popular, the people of Britain love licking Thatcher's backside.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 11:14
|
|
|
To be honest my original reaction to this story was to think that his complaint wasn't unreasonable. He wants a good quality of family life, and that's very difficult if you live in London without being mega-rich (given the absurd cost of living, commuting time, etc.). He's fortunate that he has the option to ditch his life at Westminster and do something else, which will likely be lucrative for him (especially if he has links to private health care). Most people don't have that option. He can still be criticised to the extent that he fails to recognise that many other people are in a worse position than him, and that Tory policies are at least partially responsible for that. But I don't think his decision and his reasoning for it are themselves unreasonable: if I felt my quality of life and contact with my family was poorer than it should be, and that I had the option to change that, I would do the same as him.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 11:15
|
|
|
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad posted:That's bullshit it's not for training purposes. True story - if you ring their main switchboard number the recorded announcement simply says "Welcome to GCHQ. Your calls will be recorded."
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 11:16
|
|
|
Mister Adequate posted:Yesterday our cat died. He was six. He died in the car on the way to the vets to be put to sleep. Can she not get it on the NHS? Seven grand is a lot of teeth, which should take it from cosmetic to "can't loving eat". I got a full mouth of implants on the NHS, but my max-fac surgeon had to fight for it. Get one on your side and you might have a chance.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 11:26
|
|
|
goddamnedtwisto posted:True story - if you ring their main switchboard number the recorded announcement simply says "Welcome to GCHQ. Your calls will be recorded." 
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 11:32
|
|
|
StoicFnord posted:Thatcher on a stamp. You'd think they'd hold off on stuff like this, what with the whole "Thatcher covered up child molestation" thing that's still ongoing.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 11:35
|
|
|
Gonzo McFee posted:You'd think they'd hold off on stuff like this, what with the whole "Thatcher covered up child molestation" thing that's still ongoing. Like that will ever actually enter into people's minds. I'm quite pleased tbh, looking forward to receiving mail with that stamp, find out who sent it so I can tell them to do one and then burn the envelope whilst laughing like a madman.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 11:39
|
|
|
Jedit posted:This should be popular, the people of Britain love licking Thatcher's backside. stamps have been self adhesive for two decades now grandad
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 11:59
|
|
|
Cerv posted:stamps have been self adhesive for two decades now grandad Thatcher's influence was so transcending that even inanimate objects embraced personal responsibility instead of relying on the effort of others to make their way in the world. Is a man not entitled to his own spit?
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 12:04
|
|
|
TinTower posted:Mentioned this a few pages back. The key part is that the head of the Morning Star's management committee, Bob Oram, describes himself on Twitter as: "Chair Morning Star Management Committee. Member Cuba Solidarity Executive. Works for, and proud member of campaigning and organising transport union RMT" Zero Star fucked around with this message at 12:17 on Aug 12, 2014 |
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 12:13
|
|
|
kingturnip posted:So they had a combined income of £160k per year? (Without the private healthcare 'consultancy' fees). 
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 12:51
|
|
|
Cerv posted:stamps have been self adhesive for two decades now grandad loving Tories, not content with selling off the Mail they have to ruin perfectly good jokes as well.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 13:21
|
|
|
Strom Cuzewon posted:Can she not get it on the NHS? Seven grand is a lot of teeth, which should take it from cosmetic to "can't loving eat". I got a full mouth of implants on the NHS, but my max-fac surgeon had to fight for it. Get one on your side and you might have a chance. As a child I had severe overcrowding and teeth that just didn't meet properly at all, which made eating difficult. My dentist considered the required fixes to be "medical" rather than merely "cosmetic". I got all my train tracks and teeth extractions done on the NHS as a result. That was 20+ years ago tho', dunno what it's like nowadays. Certainly worth asking.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 13:26
|
|
|
Strom Cuzewon posted:Can she not get it on the NHS? Seven grand is a lot of teeth, which should take it from cosmetic to "can't loving eat". I got a full mouth of implants on the NHS, but my max-fac surgeon had to fight for it. Get one on your side and you might have a chance. If it's seven thousand dollars then i'd assume she's outside of the UK?
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 13:33
|
|
|
 .I mean, the scores are level and they only have three second-innings wickets left, but it's something. e: haha whoops this is not the cricket thread Paul.Power fucked around with this message at 22:55 on Aug 12, 2014 |
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 13:43
|
|
|
Gonzo McFee posted:MP quits because £120,000 plus expenses is "intolerable" Thats not really a good reason. You became an MP. MP's usually work in London. At what point did he think this through? Its also galling because my dad was in the Navy and growing up he'd be gone Monday to Friday and, in some cases would be away from home for up to eight months. We live in the age of Skype and mobile communications. What's wrong with going down early monday morning and back on friday evening and just skyping the family for the day's he's in London?
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 13:43
|
|
|
Jedit posted:loving Tories, not content with selling off the Mail they have to ruin perfectly good jokes as well. was it really good in the first place
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 13:49
|
|
|
Venmoch posted:Thats not really a good reason. You became an MP. MP's usually work in London. At what point did he think this through? don't want to single you out in particular, but it's amazing how many people have just accepted the premise that a family of 5 can't live in London on their considerable means.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 13:52
|
|
|
What a loving bellend. I rented a very nice two bedroom place with a flatmate next to Farringdon for £21k total over the year. My cousin has moved into a house in Stratford and is paying £160/wk including all bills and council tax. But oh gently caress, of course, that's about a 25 minute commute. INTOLERABLE
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 14:05
|
|
|
Cerv posted:don't want to single you out in particular, but it's amazing how many people have just accepted the premise that a family of 5 can't live in London on their considerable means.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 14:16
|
|
|
Zephro posted:This isn't what he was complaining about. You can get a 4-bed house in somewhere like Barking or Ealing on a salary like that. He wanted to live in Zone 1, in Westminster, right bang slap in the centre, on plutocrat's row because he couldn't be bothered to take the half-hour commute that a place in Zone 2 would require. Well he might have to get on the train with proles, and that simply wouldn't do.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 14:21
|
|
|
Pissflaps posted:If it's seven thousand dollars then i'd assume she's outside of the UK? Gosh darn it didnt see the dollar sign.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 14:25
|
|
|
Zephro posted:This isn't what he was complaining about. You can get a 4-bed house in somewhere like Barking or Ealing on a salary like that. He wanted to live in Zone 1, in Westminster, right bang slap in the centre, on plutocrat's row because he couldn't be bothered to take the half-hour commute that a place in Zone 2 would require. Ah right, I didn't realise you could afford something like that on his money. My assumption was that the only thing he would be able to afford would be right on the outskirts of London. In that case I retract my defence of him. Edit: To be honest though, if his kids live in Lincolnshire they presumably go to school there, so they couldn't come and live with him in London anyway. So it might be that his main problem is that he has to spend so much time away from his family to do his job. If that's the case then I wouldn't blame him for wanting to stop. Living away from a family you actually like must be pretty miserable. I know lots of people don't have a choice in the matter, but if I was in his shoes I'd probably prefer to spend more time with my family if I had the choice. Whitefish fucked around with this message at 14:56 on Aug 12, 2014 |
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 14:48
|
|
|
Zephro posted:This isn't what he was complaining about. You can get a 4-bed house in somewhere like Barking or Ealing on a salary like that. He wanted to live in Zone 1, in Westminster, right bang slap in the centre, on plutocrat's row because he couldn't be bothered to take the half-hour commute that a place in Zone 2 would require. All I can think of now is the posh twat I saw on TV saying we don't need transport links between the north and south because we have video conferencing now, like a loving miner from Barnsley is just going to hop on Skype.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 14:49
|
|
|
Cerv posted:don't want to single you out in particular, but it's amazing how many people have just accepted the premise that a family of 5 can't live in London on their considerable means. Hey man no problem, working in London (and escaping its housing market by living outside) I can totally understand that some places in London would be completely outside the realm of possibility. My point, (which was poorly made admittedly) is that he should be more than capable of doing what I'm sure some other MP's (and I know for some certainty that MOD personel do to) is have a flat in Central London and stay there during the week and then return home for the weekend. Also as someone who regularly travels into London for work, the idea that the commute is "Intolerable" rubs salt into the wound somewhat. Its not that bad. Just get a decent rail route. If you're in Barking you can use the C2C. Its punctual and inexpensive. No first class though. So that may be an issue!
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 15:17
|
|
|
Venmoch posted:Thats not really a good reason. You became an MP. MP's usually work in London. At what point did he think this through? Read the article. He whines about how everything was OK until he was no longer able to diddle his expenses.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 15:40
|
|
|
Zero Star posted:They've launched a disciplinary procedure against him: http://mediadarlings.net/2014/08/11...t-all-mind-you/ Christ, that's so obviously a conflict of interest that a two-year-old could see. Seriously, the fact that Oram effectively works under Steve Hedley at the moment should have meant almost immediate recusal from a journalistic viewpoint.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 16:34
|
|
|
stefania_r posted:Really? I know that Israel has no civil marriage but I assumed that Christians/Muslims can just get married in a religious ceremony. Yeah, Israel still has a version of the Millet system running where they recognise a set number of Churches which can perform marriage ceremonies according to their rules. The only big thing religious rule wise is that they don't allow polygyny which is in Islam but banned in Israel. The major issue, as you say, is with civil marriage but apparently they passed a law in 2010 allowing civil marriage if both parties are officially not of any religion. Where did that Cyprus story come from btw? [edit] Oh, it looks like it is Jews heading off to Cyprus to marry where various strictures on Jewish marriage would not allow them to marry in Israel. Also, apparently intermarriage between religious communities is also really difficult (keep the line pure!). http://www.thejewishweek.com/special-sections/celebrate/married-mediterranean-not-israel Munin fucked around with this message at 18:49 on Aug 12, 2014 |
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 18:38
|
|
|
Plavski posted:2. She is getting a lifetime's worth of teeth issues fixed, your wedding is just a day you can have whenever. That's true, except we live on different continents and we need to pay for a visa if we want to actually live together. Neither of us care much about the wedding ceremony, we just want to be married and live together. KKKlean Energy posted:Who's classing it as cosmetic? The insurance company? Sorry about your cat too  But thank you for taking care of an FIV cat, they need love too  And it's classed as cosmetic by pretty much everyone. Unless it comes as a result of injury, or is needed to prevent future serious problems, it looks like dental implants are pretty much always classed as cosmetic. We've looked through every single clinic we could find in Montana and every single one of them considers implants cosmetic and doesn't cover them, and I've been looking at this end as well with the same results. Then we looked at health tourism options, but that's not really an option because the implant procedure requires more than one visit over a period of several months. Strom Cuzewon posted:Can she not get it on the NHS? Seven grand is a lot of teeth, which should take it from cosmetic to "can't loving eat". I got a full mouth of implants on the NHS, but my max-fac surgeon had to fight for it. Get one on your side and you might have a chance. She's in America sadly, and she's the one with the apartment and car and job (due to me going loopy I moved back in with my mum after uni) so it would be a real fucker to bring her this way to live together. Believe it or not it's only one tooth. Unfortunately it's a front one so she can't really go without. If she was here and had a decent dentist then yeah we'd probably have a case, but...  Anyway I didn't mean to fill the thread with E/N I just had to rant last night and I'd already ranted at everyone who would listen throughout the day. Back to your regularly scheduled Britain Is hosed, Hail Thatcher.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 19:10
|
|
|
If you don't care about the ceremony, just get it done as cheaply as possible. Not many people can really afford to spaff away what could be a housing deposit on one day (though they often do so anyway because social expectations, conspicuous consumption etc.) Not directed at you, just irks me to see people start married life by acquiring a load of debt because they feel like they have to have fancy place settings and other daft poo poo.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 19:41
|
|
|
Cerv posted:stamps have been self adhesive for two decades now grandad Special stamps like this generally aren't, joke restored.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 20:17
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 2, 2024 00:00 |
|
|
I had to go to Glasgow airport today and saw a couple of police officers wandering about with massive guns. Is that normal now? I think that's literally the first time I've seen a gun in real life.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 21:48
|
|