New Forest East MP claimed £7,000 for second home (From Daily Echo)

Buying it from Harrods really shows contempt for the taxpayer, since (as far as I know) it is rarely the cheapest place to buy something - you're paying for service, not shopping for the lowest price.

If he had any respect for us who pay for it, he would have gone on a price comparison site and got a lower price, or perhaps ordered it from a local supplier in his constituency.

And still we get the last refuge of the scoundrel "It was within the rules".



Still, its all an exciting distraction from Bilderberg, courtesy of those Twins.

This whole expenses scandal is outrageous and the contempt that Julian Lewis and other MP's have shown for the electorate is unforgiveable. Parliament should be disolved as democracy (or those at the helm of it at least) has quite clearly failed.

sadly it pales into insignificance compared to the £8k Gerald Kaufman paid for a TV alone.

£8k for a TV? Was it made with a gold case?

If we tried to fiddle expenses even for a few quid it would be classed as fraud or deception. Those MP's who are guilty should be locked away (Joe Public would be ...)

What has to be remembered is that Lewis and MacLean are members of the party that are 'born to rule', so would only shop at Harrods.

Absolutely disgusting! If this was "Joe Public" the police would be involved and would be done for fraud! Howcome MPs seem to be exempt from this - just appalling!

Condor Man wrote:
sadly it pales into insignificance compared to the £8k Gerald Kaufman paid for a TV alone.

Defending the undefendable...again
.

A cheat is a cheat is a cheat

"But Conservative Mr Lewis claimed more than £7,000 from the taxpayer for redecorating his second home and installing new kitchen appliances He has denied any wrong doing.

Why didnt you but it from B&Q. Why Harrods

JL you are as lousy as the rest of your Parliamentary colleagues....Irresp
ective of the party that they represent

Absolute disgrace

This is the same local Tory MP who refused to represent the interests of his constituents who work(ed)at the Ford plant, simply because they were working class and therefore unlikely to have voted for him.
Yet he still expects the same people to help foot a £7000 bill for having his house redecorated and £350 for his legal fees in a dispute.
Furthermore, Mr Lewis has stated he would be 'Astonished' if he was expected to pay any of this back!
Well, if he dosent I'd be equally astonished if he retained his seat in the forthcoming general election. Labour switching to the Lib Dems and and the continued defection of Torys to UKIP will soon wipe out his majority and the smug smile off his face.

Redecorating does not cost 7000 quid! Fridge, cooker, washer, drier, about 2500/3000, then 4 grand for paint! WTF!

Andy Locks Heath, the trouble is andy that class system has never been fully be broken down, it has repaired it self. just got more names on its born to rule list, nothing has really change.

Andy Locks Heath wrote:

Militant Ford Worker wrote:
This is the same local Tory MP who refused to represent the interests of his constituents who work(ed)at the Ford plant, simply because they were working class and therefore unlikely to have voted for him.
Yet he still expects the same people to help foot a £7000 bill for having his house redecorated and £350 for his legal fees in a dispute.
Furthermore, Mr Lewis has stated he would be 'Astonished' if he was expected to pay any of this back!
Well, if he dosent I'd be equally astonished if he retained his seat in the forthcoming general election. Labour switching to the Lib Dems and and the continued defection of Torys to UKIP will soon wipe out his majority and the smug smile off his face.

When you regurgitate that anachronistic class tripe people won't listen to any other points you make whether they are valid or not. Lewis is an unpleasant hypocrite and a cheat but trying to make out that he makes his decisions on the basis of class rather than political dogma (whether you share it or not) is just puerile. Do yourself a favour. You may still be deluding yourself that a war that that was fought 30 years ago is still raging but if you want to be taken seriously keep it to yourself. Of course if you want to dig a deeper hole try and prove your allegations. Class-based privilege has been systematically dismantled in thos country since the sixties. These days anyone who passes exams and has aspirations to earn a better wage by doing a more demanding job is labelled as "Middle class" Anyone who expects to get rich by doing the same job is "working class" Anyone in the second group who envies those in the first group is a "militant".

The"anachronistic class tripe" I am regurgitating here is based on a phone call between my line manager at Ford - a New Forest East constituent - and the good Doctors secretary (probably a family member). Mr Lewis was invited to suport Early Day Motion 2180 which stated "concern (at) the proposed downsizing of the Ford Motor Company's Southampton plant". Support was refused for the reasons stated in my post.
Check out EDM 2180 for yourself and you will see Dr Lewis did not sign it, unlike the majority of Local MPs (including other Tories)eventhough it was explained to him that the fallout of the downsizing of the Plant would impact on many of his constituents - not just the 100 or so employed at Ford.
If there was some other reason he did support the EDM perhaps you would like to tell us what it was as you seem to know so much about it?
I think the rest of your ridiculous and uninformed post reflects your own class hang ups rather than mine.

I find it astonishing that the MPs have almost without exception defended their greed. The standard defence is that "it was within the rules"..(which they wrote)...so that of course makes it right! The fact that these people have no concept of moral justice or integrity seems to escape them. I suppose that if your entire peer group has its collective nose in the trough distorts any sense of right and wrong. The simple fact is that our represenatives have sought to enrich themselves on a no risk basis entirely at taxpayer expense. They have become property developers with all loans and improvements underwritten by you and me. What is absolutely vital now is to ensure any system of expenses MUST NOT ever be allowed to finance assets, or maintain or support those assets. And any assets previously aquired at taxpayer expense need to be paid back. I note that in the US, "politics" is synonymous with corruption, and it is now abundantly clear, even if we had any previous doubts, that it is the same here. How do you justify £8,000 televisions, paying off partners shares of houses, and cleaning your moat!

Unfortunately, what ever happens in the next elections, the electorate will be entirely without influence as every political party is tainted with the same greed, and whether it is Labour, Conservative, or UKIP, their represenative will simply join this private members club and ride the gravy train. It is impossible NOT to elect someone, and perhaps in order to give the electorate a true voice, perhaps we should also consider having a minimum turn out of say 51% of the electorate as even if only one person votes...perhaps even the candidate for himself, someone, however undesirable, will be elected. At least by having a minimum turnout we might have a voice.. And no doubt they will also revert to the old system whereby what you cannot conceal, you legitimise, and what you cannot legitimise, they will conceal.

A deafening silence from Andy of Locks Heath!

I wonder why.

Family Man wrote:
I find it astonishing that the MPs have almost without exception defended their greed. The standard defence is that "it was within the rules"..(which they wrote)...so that of course makes it right! The fact that these people have no concept of moral justice or integrity seems to escape them. I suppose that if your entire peer group has its collective nose in the trough distorts any sense of right and wrong. The simple fact is that our represenatives have sought to enrich themselves on a no risk basis entirely at taxpayer expense. They have become property developers with all loans and improvements underwritten by you and me. What is absolutely vital now is to ensure any system of expenses MUST NOT ever be allowed to finance assets, or maintain or support those assets. And any assets previously aquired at taxpayer expense need to be paid back. I note that in the US, "politics" is synonymous with corruption, and it is now abundantly clear, even if we had any previous doubts, that it is the same here. How do you justify £8,000 televisions, paying off partners shares of houses, and cleaning your moat!

Unfortunately, what ever happens in the next elections, the electorate will be entirely without influence as every political party is tainted with the same greed, and whether it is Labour, Conservative, or UKIP, their represenative will simply join this private members club and ride the gravy train. It is impossible NOT to elect someone, and perhaps in order to give the electorate a true voice, perhaps we should also consider having a minimum turn out of say 51% of the electorate as even if only one person votes...perhaps even the candidate for himself, someone, however undesirable, will be elected. At least by having a minimum turnout we might have a voice.. And no doubt they will also revert to the old system whereby what you cannot conceal, you legitimise, and what you cannot legitimise, they will conceal.

there is one group that will represent the ordinary people that will not suffer this greed, at the moment they calling there self has NO2EU this is only a temp name for the EU elections on june 4th, well worth you vote it wil not be wasted vote.
when the general election come about if they can get power, one off the things on there manifest is the vote on the EU, they are a party made up from ordinary people for the ordinary people.

The deafening silence is because I was doing something else, Linesman! I am not defending Julian Lewis whom I have ridiculed regularly for his shortcomings as an MP, but it is clear from what MFW says that he is the one interpreting JL's refusal as class-based. Using that same lack of logic you can simply take any event you don't like and claim a class motive for it regardlessm which is what you have done! What you have cited is just your own conspiracy theory behind a simple bald fact- you haven;t presented any evidence at all (except in the eyes of someone equally irrational such as Southy or Linesman). The fact is that capitalism allows market forces to work with minimal interference or regulation, as you well know, and JL as a (supposed) free market capitalist would not lift a finger to help Fords any more than Fortnum and Masons. It is nothing to do with "the workers". Having said that the slimy hypocrite Lewis was more than happy to compromise his free market principles in opposing Dibden Bay, just because he thought he's win more votes as a result. I am no fan of his. There, Linesman, now you can say something.

southy wrote:

Family Man wrote: I find it astonishing that the MPs have almost without exception defended their greed. The standard defence is that "it was within the rules"..(which they wrote)...so that of course makes it right! The fact that these people have no concept of moral justice or integrity seems to escape them. I suppose that if your entire peer group has its collective nose in the trough distorts any sense of right and wrong. The simple fact is that our represenatives have sought to enrich themselves on a no risk basis entirely at taxpayer expense. They have become property developers with all loans and improvements underwritten by you and me. What is absolutely vital now is to ensure any system of expenses MUST NOT ever be allowed to finance assets, or maintain or support those assets. And any assets previously aquired at taxpayer expense need to be paid back. I note that in the US, "politics" is synonymous with corruption, and it is now abundantly clear, even if we had any previous doubts, that it is the same here. How do you justify £8,000 televisions, paying off partners shares of houses, and cleaning your moat! Unfortunately, what ever happens in the next elections, the electorate will be entirely without influence as every political party is tainted with the same greed, and whether it is Labour, Conservative, or UKIP, their represenative will simply join this private members club and ride the gravy train. It is impossible NOT to elect someone, and perhaps in order to give the electorate a true voice, perhaps we should also consider having a minimum turn out of say 51% of the electorate as even if only one person votes...perhaps even the candidate for himself, someone, however undesirable, will be elected. At least by having a minimum turnout we might have a voice.. And no doubt they will also revert to the old system whereby what you cannot conceal, you legitimise, and what you cannot legitimise, they will conceal.

there is one group that will represent the ordinary people that will not suffer this greed, at the moment they calling there self has NO2EU this is only a temp name for the EU elections on june 4th, well worth you vote it wil not be wasted vote. when the general election come about if they can get power, one off the things on there manifest is the vote on the EU, they are a party made up from ordinary people for the ordinary people.

I disgree. Despite it's shortcomings, this country could not survive without the EU subsidies and trading relationships. The old commonwealth has gone. So has the iron curtain bloc. And the majority of Ex-EFTA countries have also joined the EU. And should we look to the US..don't even bother to answer that!
Our manufacturing base has dissappeared, and anything we do produce is beyond world prices. The EU comes in for a lot of stick, but the majority of our social legislation has it's roots in the EU, and well overdure much of it is.... There is a lot wrong with the EU and its institutions, but there is an awful lot right about it as well. Unfortunately as a country we are xenophobic. Or as the Germans once called us, "bunny islanders" which sums up our parochial and petty minded attitudes..

Having said that, I do think we should be much more like the french who are not afraid to take direct action or **** a snoot when it suits...

I think you got that spot on, Family Man. It's our attitude in blindly enforcing bad EU rules against our own people that is wrong,(and to think we are ones always accusing the Germans of blindly obeying orders!) and as you rightly say something the French (and possibly every other EU state) never do. How they must laugh in Paris and Berlin sometimes knowing that we will send armies of petty officials out to harrass our farmers and fishermen while French and German farmers and fishermen are allowed to get on with their lives unhindered, knowing their Government will block British trade in order to give their domestic producers a clear run. In the Mediterranean countries they don't even employ the officials anyway so it's a non starter! Southy' precious NO2EU party is simply the Socialist Workers or SLP trying to hoover up anti-EU protest votes while hiding their true identity and the full extent of their policies which are a bit like Albania's under Enver Hoxha.

the commonwealth is still there and is much healthy than the EU will ever be. the EU needs us but we dont need the EU, but if we dont get out off the EU then still vote for them, at lest you be able to vote on the lisbon treaty, if the people vote to stay in the EU, but if they vote to come out of the EU, we can rebuild our manufactor base, the people that can do this are still there who have the know how. if we where out off the EU then our prices would not beyond world prices. our prices started to become beyond world prices when we joined the EU. the cost off the EU out weighs the gains, the EU is bleeding us dry and they will not stop till there is nothing left. look whats happening about the lisbon treaty ireland voted no to it, but they are being pushed into taking a second vote and this will not stop till there is a yes vote. look at the uk promise a vote on the treaty but have we got it no, why because they dont what a no vote, none off the main partys what you to vote on the lisbon treaty, because they know they will get a no vote, they all want that treaty to be in force, and now is the time to leave the EU, before this country becomes a banana republic.

Well I can't stand him either for many of the reasons you highlighted in your post above, and yes he is a snob so we've ended up agreeing on that point :-). Coincidentally I posted the other day about his conceit in insisting on the use of "Doctor" even when it is inappropriate or irrelevant. It just serves to highlight that he has never done a real day's work in his life.

The more I read and hear about our Hon MP the more I am disgusted. We should all email David Cameron about him at camerond@parliament.
uk At least it will be annoying to be swamped with even more negative mail.
Security word: deny-home (!)

Scandalous Tory and Labour expense claims have left the LibDems looking pretty clean. Such appalling claims have cost the Tories and Labour the General Election! It’s not about expenses now, but the betrayal of the working class. There is still a working class. All that’s changed is they now drive to work with more debt whereas 35 years ago they cycled owing next to nothing.

Not so for our Europeanized ruling elite who have spent the last 35 years destroying our industrial base by exchanging our children’s jobs for cheap EU and other foreign goods. It’s time for a political revolution. Everyone knows this instinctively. But in their fear they shy away from what must be done to survive as a nation. They stand by with their hands in their pockets, jingling their pennies and whistling Ode to Joy. Through their sidelong glances they catch the sacrifice of their own industrial base on the free market altar of profit. As their tears fall, they are tears of rage. This is the beginning of the backlash.

In a few weeks time, Labour voters will show their wrath by voting LibDem and true “conservatives” by voting UKIP. When the LibDems finally seize the initiative by committing to a referendum on EU membership, this will attract a huge chunk of floating Tory voters in at least 50 marginal Tory seats including Eastleigh, Romsey and Winchester. This will create astonishing LibDem gains and devastating Conservative losses. And if their electoral courage is repeated next year, you will see the beginning of the renaissance of the Great British industrial base and the Great British working class. You may also see a hung Parliament.

Of course. You take a consequence (Lewis's failure to sign an early day motion) and appy your own reason and then proceed with your argument as though it is axiomatic. It's just a trick of rhetoric. Lewis is an unpleasant buffoon but to cite his failure as proof of class hatred is just sophistry. I don't mind reds under the beds so long as they are bright enough to defend their stance.

The BBC webite tells me for 2007-2008

MP :Lewis, Dr Julian
Party :CON
Seat :New Forest East
2nd home allowance :£21,604.00
London supplement :£0.00
Office :£16,981.00
Staffing :£83,049.00
Central stationery :£590.00
Stationery & postage :£1,290.00
IT provision :£1,345.00
Staff cover & other :£0.00
Comms :£331.00
Travel :£5,951.00
Total :£131,141.00

Q1: Can we get hold a list of destinations ( just like the smoking gun did in X Files)

Q2: Do I ditch MY Hosenbügler as feel I do not want be part of the same gang? :)

Andy Locks Heath wrote:
Of course. You take a consequence (Lewis's failure to sign an early day motion) and appy your own reason and then proceed with your argument as though it is axiomatic. It's just a trick of rhetoric. Lewis is an unpleasant buffoon but to cite his failure as proof of class hatred is just sophistry. I don't mind reds under the beds so long as they are bright enough to defend their stance.

I'm unsure if you are replying to one of my posts or one of linesmans - I am not sure you appreciate we are different posters and not the same poster under different ID's.
You will have to face facts - there is more than one poster on this thread who finds your arguments riduculous.


Regards Julian Lewis's attitude towards Ford workers,for one last time, please read my lips.

We know he thinks representing Ford Workers are scum because thats the overiding impression his office gave us.
His refusal to sign the EDM merely confirms this.
I do not believe that it is axiomatic that any MP who declined to sign the EDM did so because of Class Hatred. Only in his case.


We certainly didn't get this treatment from local Conservative MPs Peter Bottomley or Peter Viggers who were very civil and listened to what was said rather than rejecting us out of hand.
They of course are gentlemen.

I haven't invented his antipathy to the working class. I believe it would be glaringly obvious to anyone except a THICKO!

Good. You are now revealing the limitation of your intellect. I pointed out that you were the one making a purely subjective assumption as to the motives behind Lewis's failure to support you and you have done nothing except confirm that. People now know who introduces "class" into this argument - it's you, not him. And to think you describe me as thick!