Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/617/9057
From The Socialist newspaper, 24 March 2010
In it for the money
Byers
FIVE THOUSAND pounds seems to be the favourite figure of Stephen Byers, who for the past five years has commanded this fee for regular speaking appearances and newspaper articles. This is in addition to his £64,766 MP's salary.
The former cabinet minister has claimed more than £125,000 in second home expenses for a London flat owned outright by his partner, where he lived rent-free.
Hoon
Geoff Hoon as a government minister lived in a Ministry of Defence flat while letting out a London property and claiming over £70,000 expenses for his constituency house.
During his tenure as defence secretary in charge of the war in Iraq, Hoon had one house absolutely free, a second property covered by MPs' expenses, and a third one which had initially been funded by expenses, then paid for by renting it out.
Hewitt
According to the Daily Telegraph, Patricia Hewitt's parliamentary expenses claims included £920 in legal fees when she moved out of a flat in her constituency before staying in hotels and then renting another flat in Leicester.
She also claimed for furniture, including £194 for blinds delivered to her London home.
Nice and sleazy
According to The Times, eight former government ministers have made up to £370,000 in outside work of various kinds since announcing they would be stepping down as MPs. They include John Prescott, John Reid, John Hutton, Alan Milburn and Patricia Hewitt...
... And a BBC investigation has revealed that over 20 MPs have broken parliamentary rules in relation to registering and declaring overseas trips paid for by foreign governments.
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In The Socialist 24 March 2010:
Message of support for striking BA workers from Socialist Party MEP Joe Higgins:
Striking British Airways cabin crew pickets speak to The Socialist
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Support trade union and socialist alternative: Workers reject main parties
Trade unionist and Socialist Coalition
Salford: The growth of 'Hazel Must Go!'
Woolwich and Greenwich: For a workers' MP on a worker's wage
Stoke Central: Fighting for the millions not the millionaires
Trade unionist and Socialist Coalition general election launch rally
Parliamentary Sleaze
Hewitt's big business alliance
Anti-racism
Far-right EDL outnumbered in Bolton, police try to even the odds!
EDL attend anti-racist meeting
Nottingham anti-EDL anti-BNP conference
Socialist Students
Sussex: Students gain a victory - but fight must go on!
Cuts to higher education announced: Students fight back
Marxist analysis: history
March 1990 anti-poll tax demonstration
International socialist news and analysis
Massive rejection of Sarkozy's policies presages a 'third round on the streets'
Obama's neutered health bill limps through
Socialist Party news and analysis
Nottingham council targets the vulnerable
Dickens is back: Implications of poverty revealed in London
Barking council: Late developers
Battling against school academies in Hastings
Socialist Party workplace news
HP workers take further action
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