Sunday 8 February 2009

Jacqui Smith - I want my money back! (second home allowance)

Bullshitters do what bullshitters do, and this morning Jacqui Smith has been doing her best. She has been accused of fiddling her second home allowance to rip the taxpayer off by some £116,000. She is claiming Second Home Allowance for her Redditch constituency home she shares with her husband and children - up to £24000/year.
Her spad says:
"The Home Secretary has always abided fully with Parliament's clear rules on expenses and has long-standing written approval from the Parliamentary Fees office for any agreed expenses. "She spends the majority of her time in London attending to Government business and has full approval for any associated expenses relating to her second home in her West Midlands constituency."
Absolute BOLLOCKS!

Allegedly she stays at her sisters on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. She spends Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at her supposed "second home". By my calculations that is 3 nights at her sisters and 4 at her "second home". That's not even counting the massive amount of time Parliament is closed thanks to the government. If she is not at least bending the rules to line her pockets then I'm a Frenchman. Apparently she turned down a grace and favour home because she wouldn't be able to claim "second home" allowance.

Jacqui Smith should resign - at the very least - I want my money back!
More on this story HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Help me out here. As I understand it she's taken money she's not entitled to by, effectively, deception, right?

Where I come from there is a crime on the statute books called 'obtaining money by deception'

Should this matter be referred to the police or have I misunderstood it?

Daily Referendum said...

Mark,

I think you are spot on. I know that if this was the benefit fraud case, she would be very lucky to get away with it.

Brian said...

Surely any claims for MP's second home allowance should be supported by invoices. Or do MPs reckon £24,000 (the average salary) is just petty cash?

J J said...

If what she has done is a crime, then surely the police will have to investigate.

But is what she's done a criminal offence or just an offence in the Parliamentary Privilege sense?

In which case she will just waffle on until the next election.

Anonymous said...

Sounds all above board to me... I'd claim 24 grand if I had to live in Redditch.

Hacked Off said...

The thieving fat kebab stuffer should have to pay it back, as some MP called Trend (?) was forced to a while ago for same scam. Then she should be made to resign, and be stripped of her pension rights.

The Penguin

Anonymous said...

Your picture is a bit out-of-date. All that troughing has made our Jacqui look like a barrage balloon - should be a Government Health Warning.

Anonymous said...

jacqui smith should resign. It is a disgrace that someone in her position should have defrauded the british public of £100,000 a year . what is going on.!!!