Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Gale Blasts Gazunder Over Expenses Story

Holy claim sheets! It appears our Tory MP for Norf Fannit has got the right royal hump with the Gazunder over its MPs' expenses story last week. A Sarf Fannit reader who wishes to remain anonymous has sent me an email that Rodge seems to be circulating. It begins:

I have received, from a reporter acting on behalf of the editor of the Isle of Thanet Gazette, the following e-mail. My response is published beneath the e-mail and I leave it to my constituents to judge both the probity of my own actions and the probity and motives of what has hitherto been regarded as a responsible local newspaper.

For my own part I am saddened by both the tone of this approach and by the fact that the newspaper has failed to properly check its questions and assertions against facts that are in the public domain.

I regard with disdain the threat implied in the statement: 'We`re running the story in this week's
Gazette'.

Roger Gale MP
House of Commons,
25th June 2009


There's loads more, including a long list of queried expenses from the Gazunder, and Sir Roger Wind's blustery riposte. But rather than bore you to distraction in one go, I'll publish it as a partwork over the next day or two. Once you've collected all of them, there's a free duck island on offer!

10 comments:

Westgate Old Lady said...

I think you're being terribly mean to Mr Gale, a much respected member of the community and a pillar of society. Surely you don't expect him to fund for his own living expenses out of his salary? It's not as if you've ever published your expenses now is it?

windy said...

I think this is great - Roger Wind if full or it.
So what if they question his spending - IT IS PUBLIC MONEY!

Anonymous said...

Was the Gazette "Hitherto regarded as a responsible local newspaper" ?

Anonymous said...

To Westgate Old Lady, you said 'Surely you don't expect him to fund for his own living expenses out of his salary?' well my, dear we mear mortals have to it with our salaries! So basically you are saying is, that if you work for a council or government, you do not have to pay the costs of daily living??
I have to pay for my own transport to/from work, my boss would laugh me out of my job if i demanded the company paid for it!

Peter C said...

At least some of them (including Roger Gale) do a good job...

I wish people would concentrate on this country's biggest scroungers a bit more:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6602049.ece

Westgate Old Lady said...

Mr Anon, 4:04. Surely it's only fair that our MP's, who have to travel up to London remember, get a reasonable and comfortable second home, complete with a decent television and nice pictures on the wall? You could hardly expect important people to settle for less.

Anonymous said...

Gale's arrogance and two-fingered attitude to the public - certainly those who challenge him, question him or try to hold him to account - are his hallmarks.

He employs his wife. Many MPs do, but he is OUR MP and accountable to us (those in North Thanet that is). He refuses to say how much of the £80,000 office expenses he claims goes to her and therefore into their household coffers. He refuses to say whether she ever competed for the job (as his "Parliamentary Director").

He has only started to post his expenses on his website since he stopped claiming almost the full £20,000 for his second London home. He has, therefore, only posted the details since they have looked better.

He has this second home, but why can't he commute to London daily like many of his constituents (including me) do?

As for doing a good job, there are many who do not feel he does. There are many who have experienced his rudeness and his dinosaur-like far-right views on so many social issues.

Peter C said...

Suzy Gale does a wonderful job, very thorough & reliable.

Anonymous said...

So I've heard. But they're married, he shouldn't have to pay for it.

Anonymous said...

Gale - husband and wife - may do a good job in some people's eyes. But they are paid (well) for it. They are not voluntary workers, they are not doing the jobs free of charge. And they are paid - or rather they pay themselves - with public money.