Sunday, March 29, 2009

Where is John Mann?

Isn't it strange that we have heard nothing in recent weeks from that scourge of political sleaze, John Mann MP. He's the rent-a-quote who the media wheelout whenever there is an example of a Tory in trouble. Strangely, he's been silent on Jacqui Smith, Tony McNulty, Nigel Griffiths and now Harry Cohen. Has he lost his voice?

There is, ofcourse, another explanation. Many Labour MPs are furious at his antics. They think his agenda has caused problems forallof them. Perhaps they have persuaded theLabour whips to silence him.

15 comments:

Plato said...

He's too busy trying to work out how to hide his expenses:

Total £145,273 (170th) £138,659 £144,446 (48th) £132,792 (87th) £121,729 (128th) £109,635 (19th)

They work for you

KP said...

or john mann himself is very peeved at being labour attack dog for a few years and getting no reward whatsoever in terms of a promotion, so is no longer jumping through hoops!

Chris Paul said...

John Mann hasn't been going after second home allowances cases, now has he? We all know - vide Eric Pickles - that the system is flexed by many and varied MPs. And that whoever is doing it the (rather hypocritical expense account and staggering salaries) media don't like it.

John Mann has been going after undeclared political donations and the like, surely?

Surely you can see the difference Iain? And surely if you can see the difference you'd have to acknowledge that your post is petty foolishness?

Simon Gardner said...

I say again that the whole process of using expenses as a covert method of raising or maintaining MP’s salaries has to go - soonest - with the exception of a (preferably rental only) 2nd London home and MP’s office staff and expenses.

The complex MP’s expenses to be replaced by a suitable straight salary.

Anonymous said...

When Sky news were doing Spliff, they made a comment I have not seen anywhere else. They said Spliff had made claims for two washing machines and two TV's. If their reporting is correct, then Spliff really is toast. As how can you justify TWO washings machines, where the claim is only for ONE additional home?

Plato said...

Well at least he hasn't bought a holiday home in Norfolk [waits for next weekend's papers]

mv monee

Doug said...

It's also interesting how until '03/'04 John Mann was regularly 1st or 2nd in claiming the most from the additional costs allowance. Maybe he's concentrating on being on the Treasury Select Committee again, his reward for many years of letting things slip by unnoticed during his early committee appointment.

javelin said...

jack boot's husband may have been having a hand shandy during work hours on the tax payers expense. I think we need to know the time of the invoice. Was he really that desperate for a bit of hand relief before jack boots got home? Maybe her famous assets don't hold their value under closer inspection?

Anonymous said...

O.K. I give in was Tinney entertaining lady palm and her five lovely daughters.

Mark M said...

I'm going with the second option. He's being shushed because you look ridiculous criticising the Tories when your side is in fact milking the system even more.

Iain, perhaps you could help me get some readers. I've recently started a blog. Today, we're on questions for Jacqui Smith. http://from-the-north.blogspot.com/

Cynic said...

Today really is the final straw. We have been paying the Home Secretary's Bill for her Sky Subscription and for Movies on Demand (never mind the porn).

She says she didn't notice them on the bill - just stuck it in to be paid from the trough.

Why the hell is she still in post this afternoon? Has this administration no shame at all? IS there no depth they wont sink to?
Is Gordon too busy in Chile to bother sacking her?

DespairingLiberal said...

The latest Smith one is an absolute Peach but alas, I fear this is far from over. As I predicted the other week, there will be a relentless drip-drip of juicy new ones every Sunday for many months until our self-deluding MPs (many of them still think they are popular!) bite the bullet and start submitting properly audited expense claims like everyone else in both industry and the public sector.

With the possible exception of Sir Fred Goodwin perhaps. Where is he by the way now? Grand Caymans? Bermuda?

Anonymous said...

In what way has Pickles done anything wrong? Except make a bit of an arse of himself in defending himslelf?

I live just a bit further out as the crow flies, 12 miles south of Oxford - and I can say i would claim for a 'second home' flat. So I am not going to be a hypocrite.
My wife was involved in some seriously big contractual negociations spread over several weeks and when she needed to be in London first thing she got a hotel room on expenses. I see no difference for MPs here.

Its fraudulent use of second home allowances, like Smith and McNulty, which are to be condemned.

Poor Ms Smith - at least here husband did not take a £500,000 bribe of the Italian PM to pay off her mortgage. but it seems she has also got to pay back loads of money foir a raft of other stuff.

David said...

Mann and Kevan Jones were the grusome twosome who always jumped up screaming about Tory sleaze. Funny how Jones, who kept whinging about the money used to decorate the top military officer's hose is now a Defence Miister and has shut up? Hypocrites ? In the Labour Party? Never.....

Anonymous said...

@Plato

"He's too busy trying to work out how to hide his expenses"

Presumably those are the expenses he's trying to hide on his public website?

http://www.johnmannmp.com/expenses

I hope you're watching the Daily Politics, Iain.