Archive for July 29th, 2009
New Telegraph expenses claim ‘ludicrous’ nothing shocks me any more with our MPs
The House of Commons Commission has rejected claims made in this morning’s Telegraph that MPs have given themselves a £9,000 expenses deal by “stealth”.
In a written statement the commission said it was “absolutely not true” that the £25 overnight subsistence allowance was agreed on the sly, and argued that the allowance was approved by the Commons on January 22.
“The suggestion that more than £9,000 can be claimed by Members over the course of a year is ludicrous,” the statement said.
“There are clear rules set out by the Members’ allowances committee governing when the allowances can be claimed.”
The Telegraph said that the allowance had been approved “without any public announcement or debate in Parliament”.
“Instead it has been agreed by a small committee of MPs chaired by John Bercow, the new Speaker, and including Harriet Harman, the Labour leader of the House and Alan Duncan, the Tory frontbencher,” the Telegraph claimed.
The newspaper said the subsistence payments were published in the new parliamentary Green Book which sets out expense rules on July 13.
But the House of Commons Commission said that the overnight subsistence payment had not been changed from previous versions of the book.
The statement also said that “fewer than half” of MPs had claimed on the subsistence allowance, and that the average claim was eight days a month.
Source: ePolitix.com
Copyright Dod’s Parliamentary Communications Ltd
Daughter kept mother’s corpse at home for more than a year – inquest
Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Housing , Communities
Tuesday 28th July 2009 – 3:31pm
Doreen Hulme’s decomposed body was discovered underneath a duvet in bed at her home in December last year. She died in August 2007.
Stockport Coroner’s Court heard that her daughter and carer for 35 years, Vivien, was arrested by police on suspicion of murder. She was later released without charge.
Detective Sergeant Myra Ball told the court Vivien asked police: “What are you doing arresting me, I’ve got to go home to look after my mother and who’s going to feed my cats, my mum is waiting at home.”
Joan Hulme, one of Mrs Hulme’s four daughters, told the court she visited her 81-year-old mother and her “eccentric” sister in August 2007 before going on holiday.
However when she returned from holiday she was never able to gain access to her mother’s large, semi-detached house in Rostherne Road, Sale Moor, Greater Manchester.
Ms Hulme said she would leave notes and Vivien would ring her and assure her that “everything was fine”.
She said she became concerned when she visited the house on one occasion and, peering through the window, noticed lots of dead flies on the windowsill of her mother’s downstairs bedroom.
But Ms Hulme said she dismissed her “silly” concerns and neighbours also reassured her that her sister appeared to be coping.
Ms Hulme confronted her sister on December 20 last year and was shocked to learn the truth.
She said her mother had been a highly intelligent woman who liked using her brain but became a recluse after losing her sight.
Coroner John Pollard said: “Vivien told police her mum had died in her sleep some time around August 2007.
“She also told police that when the death occurred she had gone into a state of shock. Her sisters were abroad, she was alone and she had a breakdown, she couldn’t cope with the death of her mother.”
Ms Hulme said: “When I saw her (Vivien) her hair had fallen out, she had gone completely grey, she had been drinking very heavily to block things out and developed some very strange habits.”
She told the court Vivien “did everything she could” and said: “Mum was very stubborn, she didn’t want any intervention whatsoever.
“She died the way she wanted to and lived the way she wanted to. Social services couldn’t have done anything for her, so I don’t hold anyone responsible.”
Pathologist Philip Lumb said Mrs Hulme’s body was “skelatalised” when he examined it and estimated the death to have occurred in August 2007.
David Hanley, deputy director of adult social services for Trafford Council, said the family had rebuffed an offer of help after Mrs Hulme came out of hospital in March 2006.
He said: “The only people who had access to Mrs Hulme were the family and they raised no concerns about her wellbeing.
“There’s no evidence Mrs Hulme did not consent to these arrangements nor did she lack the capacity. She wanted to be at home with Vivien and Vivien cared well for her given the circumstances.”
He added: “This did reflect the right of people to live the life that they have chosen to live. Mrs Hulme lived her life as she wanted to.”
Mr Pollard said he was satisfied Mrs Hulme died where she was found and that it was not as a result of any third party involvement or knife wounds.
He said social services had “kept an eye” on her but did not get involved because “nothing untoward” was happening.
He added: “I would commend social services for taking that view because it’s a very difficult view they have to take, sometimes they are on a knife edge.”
Mr Pollard said: “It would have been preferable if Vivien had reported her death straight away” but said this did not alter “the care she gave her mother up to her death”.
He recorded a verdict of natural causes.
Bust up over Babes
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why are minority parties failing to make the breakthrough?
Are minority parties failing to make the breakthrough and why. Why are parties who should be reaping the benefits not. New Labour are at one of it’s lowest points for many years, and what ever spin the Tories gush out in torrents they will never be anything apart from a group of people with one vision, the rich and the poor come last. Their party will never sink to the depth of having a society that is equal and all will be cared for. they are a party of self interest. Those who make it to the top reap the benefits and those who struggle are labeled scroungers and benefit cheats. Remember their famous words Get on your bike, trouble was many of us could not afford bikes. It was hard going through the Thatcher era in Salford. Many people could not find work. What concerns me today also is the power of the press, how press barons can make or break political groups at a whim.As a small party i fear we struggle to get our message across, is it possible that to much time is spent on knocking the other groups and individuals members that we forget to impress on the electorate who or what we are. How many times have we failed to offer what we would do if we had the chance.It’s so easy in opposition to knock the others, but if you offer no other arguments to the electorate you will always fail. I am sick of being looked on in a National sense as the protest vote. Our leadership fails to shine and without that figure we will fail sadly. I think tough decisions are needed if we are to stand any chance of electoral victory in the near future.
Are the people of this city getting accurate information in the right format on where to acquire services and help.
I have attended a number of meetings this week and numerous issues have come to light . I am disappointed with feedback i have received. Most people i have spoken with seem to have little idea on services they can use . Where to complain to if unsatisfied and very little knowledge of what is really happening within this city. For the amount of money we spend on advertising i think we should be having rethink. Benefits are i feel going unclaimed, assistance which can be used is not being utilized in any real capacity. Do any readers have any cases they would like to comment on. I would also like to hear from any one who feels they have tried to get help and the system as failed. If this goes on and no ones highlights the problems we will never cure what i think is fast becoming a serious breakdown within the system.
Nick Griffin upset over the change in South Parks flag because of the fear of racism
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