In message
, at
16:03:33 on Mon, 13 Jul 2009, Mizter T remarked:
Looking down the list and picking the first person as my random
example: Ms Diane Abbott claimed around £131k, *none* of which was
for a second home.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8044207.stm

If they ran their offices as self-employed businesses, they would, but I
don't doubt that they exempted themselves (not to save money, but just
to simplify their paperwork). In fact, I don't know if the money for
things like staff costs isn't paid directly to the staff, rather than
via the MP's books.

One of the proposed changes is that the staff will be paid direct from
Westminster. (Which sounds to me like something that will require a
whole new layer of admin, so they can be assured what hours those people
have actually worked).

Which is fine by me, if it stops dodgy MPs 'employing' their children
who somehow do all the work whilst they're 300 miles away at
university, and other such scams.

It's odd how one is usually deafened by "can't you do teleworking" all
over Usenet, and yet in this instance suddenly only working at the MP's
elbow will do! I don't condone the scams, obviously, but how a central
paymaster can monitor who is doing what and where is obviously quite
tricky. If it was just a a matter of the MP signing off a timesheet,
then we aren't any further forward.

Some MPs work very hard - my understanding is that Diane Abbott is one
such example

I picked her only because she's first in the alphabetical list.

- and I'm all for providing them with the proper back up
of researchers and staff (I was going to call this a 'private office',
which it is commonly called, but actually I don't think that's a very
appropriate phrase).

The MP has a public office (of MP) and people in his private office
assist him. Sounds like riddles, I know.

--
Roland Perry