Musings from the Merse
Monday, November 06, 2006
The Laird and his son's flat misadventure (if that is the right word) had a very heavy airing in the Medja over the weekend-many thanks to the usual bloggee for some valuable research: For example Take the Scotsman on Sunday
Invasion of the kimono snatcher
MUNGO MCKAY
WHAT a week!
MONDAY
John Home Robertson, aka the Pompous Ass, sent round an e-mail insisting he had done nothing wrong by letting a flat from his son for £600 a week. "This is just media froth. The people of Scotland aren't interested. What they care about is what we're doing for social justice, and the cause of equality. PS. Does anyone know a decent butler? My last one quit and I'm buggered if I can find a new one. Experience necessary."
Nota Bene. These are not Huttonian's words- before any high-minded person complains that MFTM is getting after well meaning innocent local citizens. And although Huttonian, perhaps not thecontinuouss toast of Apple House should not have to be put in the position of defending the Laird, he feels bound to point out that Mr Mungo MCKAY may not altogether be sticking to all the facts. It is £600 a month, not per week for the filial flat and I would be surprised if the Member for East Lothian runs to a Butler. As I know to my cost Scottish journalists sometimes don't worry about facts getting in the way a good story-and
this is a good story
So good that it is written up elsewhere in some style. Sunday Herald wades in with
http://www.sundayherald.com/58902 and so does the Daily Record at
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_headline=sheridan-slams-msps--flats-perk-&method=full&objectid=18049591&siteid=66633-name_page.html
Its even crept south of the border to the Grudian Unlimited.
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/scotland/story/0,,1940058,00.html
Why is it that our representatives seem to get into the news for all the wrong reasons. People are cynical enough about politicians without the latter having to prove the cynics right. Again and again.
And again.
Invasion of the kimono snatcher
MUNGO MCKAY
WHAT a week!
MONDAY
John Home Robertson, aka the Pompous Ass, sent round an e-mail insisting he had done nothing wrong by letting a flat from his son for £600 a week. "This is just media froth. The people of Scotland aren't interested. What they care about is what we're doing for social justice, and the cause of equality. PS. Does anyone know a decent butler? My last one quit and I'm buggered if I can find a new one. Experience necessary."
Nota Bene. These are not Huttonian's words- before any high-minded person complains that MFTM is getting after well meaning innocent local citizens. And although Huttonian, perhaps not thecontinuouss toast of Apple House should not have to be put in the position of defending the Laird, he feels bound to point out that Mr Mungo MCKAY may not altogether be sticking to all the facts. It is £600 a month, not per week for the filial flat and I would be surprised if the Member for East Lothian runs to a Butler. As I know to my cost Scottish journalists sometimes don't worry about facts getting in the way a good story-and
this is a good story
So good that it is written up elsewhere in some style. Sunday Herald wades in with
http://www.sundayherald.com/58902 and so does the Daily Record at
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_headline=sheridan-slams-msps--flats-perk-&method=full&objectid=18049591&siteid=66633-name_page.html
Its even crept south of the border to the Grudian Unlimited.
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/scotland/story/0,,1940058,00.html
Why is it that our representatives seem to get into the news for all the wrong reasons. People are cynical enough about politicians without the latter having to prove the cynics right. Again and again.
And again.
Comments:
Never mind the embellishments feel the truth. Well done our vigilant press. You are doing all my work for me.
# posted by 
: 5:58 PM
: 5:58 PM
The Guardian article is intersting in that it says the money is only available to those living more than 1.5 hours away from the parliament. A quick search on AA Routeplanner shows that due to Mr H-R's help in developing a dual carrigeway the time taken for the journey from Paxton to Parliament is 1hr 19mins. Does this mean he is due us all a refund? Why have the guardians of Scotland's finances not carried out this simple check of his expenses claim?
# posted by : 8:54 PM
: 8:54 PM
Our Johnnie has done us a favour, he has given us a proper definition of "Affordable Housing":
Living rent free in your own flat and being paid £7000+ to do so by us taxpayers using money that should be properly spent providing homes for those who cannot afford them.
We should not be surprised, though, after all he must be in a poor state taking 90 minutes over a journey that takes the rest of us 20 minutes less.
Living rent free in your own flat and being paid £7000+ to do so by us taxpayers using money that should be properly spent providing homes for those who cannot afford them.
We should not be surprised, though, after all he must be in a poor state taking 90 minutes over a journey that takes the rest of us 20 minutes less.
# posted by : 9:28 PM
: 9:28 PM
It's a wonder that the Press have not checked with the AA website and exposed this !! I wonder if they will ???
# posted by : 9:48 PM
: 9:48 PM
And another thing. How many people not being able to afford accomodation in Edinburgh commute from round here? And if there was nice housing on Knowes Close how many would be joining them Hardly a selling point our MSP could use to attract buyers: Oh yes you can easily commute from here!
# posted by : 10:28 PM
: 10:28 PM
MSP_Watcher: I've just read your post and some of your previous ones too. I hope you don't mind me saying -- you sound somewhat cynical and, dare I say it, jaded.
Why can't you cut the man some slack?
He's already made it clear that "There is absolutely no question of me having breached any Parliamentary rules and there has been no financial advantage to anyone". There you have it: Categorical. Clear-cut. Unequivocal.
On second thoughts: What planet is this? Are we still on planet Earth? I’m not sure anymore. The rules of engagement have obviously changed… On this planet there's been no financial advantage to anyone. Apparently there's no mortgage either, and 17-year-olds pay for houses outright – but don’t live in them. Fifty-minute train journeys morph inexplicably into ninety-minute-plus non-commutable expense-qualifying expeditions. Just as well that its all “media froth” and “the people of Scotland aren’t interested”. More important – its all within the rules: Above board. Acceptable. Legitimate. A-OK!
Obviously all’s not well in the “best small country in the world”. The rules need changing...
MSP_Watcher -- are you heartened by this extract from the Efficient Government Initiative which, we are assured, is 'at the heart of the Executive's improvement and delivery agenda which would ensure the very best value from every pound of public money'?
‘... but we need to do more. That is why I am announcing that, as part of our budget plans to be announced in September, we will set out a three year plan to attack waste, bureaucracy and duplication in Scotland's public sector. We are building on the work already done, but stepping up a gear, going much further, with more ambitious targets, making sure that every pound makes an impact.’
Attacking waste? Attacking bureaucracy?? Attacking duplication??? Every pound making an impact! Sounds like our representatives are well-and-truly on the case, “stepping up a gear, going much further” too! We lucky taxpayers must be on the cost-effective motorway to nirvana.
Maybe that bold initiative means something gets done about the recent expense bonanza? Will ‘wur man’ (aka “Pompous Ass”) be forced to publicly account for himself? Give the money back? Pay back a percentage of increased house value since 1999? Make a sincere public apology? Step down from office? These (and other innovative alternatives) have already been suggested by taxpayers (aka Expense Payers) on the Scotsman website. On planet Scotsman and planet Earth it appears the people of Scotland are very interested.
On reflection, MSP_Watcher, maybe you're right... Stay cynical.
http://news.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=1602092006 http://news.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=1638442006
Post a Comment
Why can't you cut the man some slack?
He's already made it clear that "There is absolutely no question of me having breached any Parliamentary rules and there has been no financial advantage to anyone". There you have it: Categorical. Clear-cut. Unequivocal.
On second thoughts: What planet is this? Are we still on planet Earth? I’m not sure anymore. The rules of engagement have obviously changed… On this planet there's been no financial advantage to anyone. Apparently there's no mortgage either, and 17-year-olds pay for houses outright – but don’t live in them. Fifty-minute train journeys morph inexplicably into ninety-minute-plus non-commutable expense-qualifying expeditions. Just as well that its all “media froth” and “the people of Scotland aren’t interested”. More important – its all within the rules: Above board. Acceptable. Legitimate. A-OK!
Obviously all’s not well in the “best small country in the world”. The rules need changing...
MSP_Watcher -- are you heartened by this extract from the Efficient Government Initiative which, we are assured, is 'at the heart of the Executive's improvement and delivery agenda which would ensure the very best value from every pound of public money'?
‘... but we need to do more. That is why I am announcing that, as part of our budget plans to be announced in September, we will set out a three year plan to attack waste, bureaucracy and duplication in Scotland's public sector. We are building on the work already done, but stepping up a gear, going much further, with more ambitious targets, making sure that every pound makes an impact.’
Attacking waste? Attacking bureaucracy?? Attacking duplication??? Every pound making an impact! Sounds like our representatives are well-and-truly on the case, “stepping up a gear, going much further” too! We lucky taxpayers must be on the cost-effective motorway to nirvana.
Maybe that bold initiative means something gets done about the recent expense bonanza? Will ‘wur man’ (aka “Pompous Ass”) be forced to publicly account for himself? Give the money back? Pay back a percentage of increased house value since 1999? Make a sincere public apology? Step down from office? These (and other innovative alternatives) have already been suggested by taxpayers (aka Expense Payers) on the Scotsman website. On planet Scotsman and planet Earth it appears the people of Scotland are very interested.
On reflection, MSP_Watcher, maybe you're right... Stay cynical.
http://news.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=1602092006 http://news.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=1638442006
# posted by : 9:01 PM
: 9:01 PM
