Comments on Guy Fawkes' blog of parliamentary plots, rumours and conspiracy: Don't Like Mondays?

Perhaps we should bear in mind that when the Blair...

2006-07-31T22:46:00.000+01:00

Perhaps we should bear in mind that when the Blair's go on holiday they don't, as a rule, pay for anything. Last time they freeloaded off another newly born sucker ... oops ... enjoyed Sir Cliff Richard's hospitality it is reputed that they contributed less to Sir Cliff's tennis charity in settlement than one might pay for a lobster dinner for two without wine, entree or dessert at Scott's of Mayfair.

If our MPs didn't spend so much time interfering i...

2006-07-31T19:20:00.000+01:00

If our MPs didn't spend so much time interfering in our lives then their long holidays might be justified. By enlarging the role of the state they give themselves more work. They should damn well suffer for it.

phone cam foolery...I've oft suspected you're on a...

2006-07-31T17:27:00.000+01:00

phone cam foolery...I've oft suspected you're on a different planet but a different time zone as well?

My MP moonlights as a fireman!

2006-07-31T16:38:00.000+01:00

My MP moonlights as a fireman!

I for one would be happy if the fuckers took 364 d...

2006-07-31T14:27:00.000+01:00

I for one would be happy if the fuckers took 364 days a year off)(365 on leap years) less opportunity to meddle in our lives.
Scum.

Holiday or not, Bush and Blair fiddleWhile the Leb...

2006-07-31T13:45:00.000+01:00

Holiday or not, Bush and Blair fiddle

While the Lebannon burns

The War Monger and his lap dog have a lot to answer for

.... and please let's not forget the tens of thous...

2006-07-31T13:39:00.000+01:00

.... and please let's not forget the tens of thousands of Whitehall civil servants (whose numbers have increased massively under this lot) also about to embark on their ridiculously long holidays without even the pathetic excuses of "catching up with constituency work /opening fetes, etc to fall back on.

I would not take Mark Oaten anywhere.

2006-07-31T13:25:00.000+01:00

I would not take Mark Oaten anywhere.

They are all greedy fuckers who kiss arse and roge...

2006-07-31T12:58:00.000+01:00

They are all greedy fuckers who kiss arse and roger the right people or come from the near toffy nosed bastard brigade.

THose of us at the bottom of the heap think the ones at the top are shit!!! Take mark oaten for an example.

Anon, above, said: "An MP's basic (c. £60k per yea...

2006-07-31T12:53:00.000+01:00

Anon, above, said:

"An MP's basic (c. £60k per year) is abt. the same basic as an associate (25-28 year old) in an investment bank."

Why do you insist on quoting an MP's Basic salary when everyone knows that including secretarial allowances, bloated expense allowances, subsidised everything, pension benefits ordinary folk can only dream about, etc, etc. - the real figure is at least double that.

Get Real!

"An MP's basic (c. £60k per year) is abt. the same...

2006-07-31T12:43:00.000+01:00

"An MP's basic (c. £60k per year) is abt. the same basic as an associate (25-28 year old) in an investment bank."

Having seen both up close investment bankers work orders of magnitude harder than your average backbencher and deserve every penny they get. Investment bankers pay is directly linked to the revenue they produce for their companies (and therefore this country), the pay is highly volatile, pensions are terrible, there are almost no expenses these days, the job security is non-existent and the hours are ludicrous. I can't see how investment banking pay in any way justifies the pay/pensions/expenses/perks of backbench MP's.

Being an MP is money for old rope. I look forward to doing it when I become too old to do anything more useful.

It really is frightfully unfair to snipe at Westmi...

2006-07-31T12:07:00.000+01:00

It really is frightfully unfair to snipe at Westminster's Finest in this manner.

Poor Cousin Barrington richly deserves his eleven weeks of summer respite from the huge burdens of representing Great Piddling on the Dunny, as richly indeed as he deserves the three weeks at Christmas, the three weeks at Easter, the fortnight in February, the two weeks at Whitsun...

You know very well they are still working but not ...

2006-07-31T11:30:00.000+01:00

You know very well they are still working but not necessarily in Westminster. London MPs don't go anywhere.

Methinks Guido has picked another 'opinion-divider...

2006-07-31T11:27:00.000+01:00

Methinks Guido has picked another 'opinion-divider' issue here....the fact is that some MPs work a 90-hour week (seriously - I can personally vouch for this), and others can get by with as little as 20. (And then there is Prescott....) The difference comes in the amount of constituency surgeries and resultant casework handled, and letters to Ministers, also Adjournment Debates on constituency issues(which require a lot of prior MP homework.) Sitting on the benches in the Chamber is the least demanding of MP tasks in some ways - contributing to the work of a Select Committee, and taking an active role in Westminster Hall debates can often involve many more hours' concentration and hard work. Opening Fetes and 'pressing flesh'is a doddle by comparison.

I take it you didn't bother reading the previous c...

2006-07-31T11:25:00.000+01:00

I take it you didn't bother reading the previous comments before posting. Fine.
Do we actually want them having more time legislating?

If they want so much time off maybe they should al...

2006-07-31T11:08:00.000+01:00

If they want so much time off maybe they should all become teachers.... oh, wait erm...

I take it running a nation isn't that important at all. I mean, who wants to pass bills in the summer when you could be sipping on a Bloody Mary and enjoying a BBQ? Do what the rest of the nation does and GET BACK TO WORK!

That is enough resentment.

2006-07-31T10:56:00.000+01:00

That is enough resentment.

resentment, resentment go away....come back anothe...

2006-07-31T10:52:00.000+01:00

resentment, resentment go away....come back another day (not).

resentment, resentment go away....come back anothe...

2006-07-31T10:47:00.000+01:00

resentment, resentment go away....come back another day?!

Anonymous 10.24 has a point, so here's a different...

2006-07-31T10:44:00.001+01:00

Anonymous 10.24 has a point, so here's a different take on it.

The Parliamentary recesses and Fridays are when most MPs get most of their important work done, attending to constituency issues in which they actually have the power to do some good.

For the rest of the time, they are effectively on holiday, swanning around the delightful surroundings of the Commons, enjoying its subsidized restaurants and bars, and indulging the fantasy that they can actually change things.

Cynical? Well, no more so than the idea that MPs spend the summer recesses sat on their arses at home or sunning themselves on a beach somewhere.

resentment, resentment go away come back another d...

2006-07-31T10:44:00.000+01:00

resentment, resentment go away come back another day!

Yawn - this attack on MPs is old and dull. The vas...

2006-07-31T10:42:00.000+01:00

Yawn - this attack on MPs is old and dull. The vast majority of MPs work extremely hard during recess in their constituencies - I don't just mean opening fetes etc, but serious meetings about important local issues and surgeries for constituents. Yes they may have a few weeks off during that time, but surely MPs are actually allowed some time to themselves? Cutting recess to say 8 weeks so that the House returns mid-September would be sensible, but its not as if they're spending the whole time sunning themselves in Mauritius. Well, maybe a few grandee Tories are.

Jealous of what?

2006-07-31T10:41:00.000+01:00

Jealous of what?

Mr Fawkes......you need to get past your "jealousy...

2006-07-31T10:39:00.000+01:00

Mr Fawkes......you need to get past your "jealousy". true?

Blair's Holiday (to the tune of Cliff Richard's Su...

2006-07-31T10:36:00.000+01:00

Blair's Holiday (to the tune of Cliff Richard's Summer Holiday)

Blair's off on a summer holiday.
Prezza in charge for a week or two.
Middle-East left in crisis.
Plenty of worries for me and you.
For a week or two.

Blair's off where the sun shines brightly.
Prezza doesn't seem to have a clue.
We've seen it in the blogs.
Will rumours 'bout Rosie be true?

Prezza in charge this summer holiday.
Doing things Gordon always wanted to.
Blair's on another freebie holiday.
Whiter than white, too good to be true.
For me and you.

There's a slightly serious side to this that I posted here