And what's the real inflation rate? Not the one that leaves out some of the things we all have to pay for but the one that only takes into account what we all have to buy and is'nt brought down by the inclusion of luxury items like widescreen TVs etc.?

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sue allen:

And what's the real inflation rate? Not the one that leaves out some of the things we all have to pay for but the one that only takes into account what we all have to buy and is'nt brought down by the inclusion of luxury items like widescreen TVs etc.?

The inflation rate doesn't affect MP's, as their pensions are gold-plated and their allowances will increase in line with it. According to the BBC news tonight, some MP's are saying they will need to have a large payrise if their allowances are curtailed.

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SK
The Best Photographer in the world 4th November - 5th November 2006 & 17th-18 November 2007
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I think its good that MP's spending is going to be made public (If it really happens). They have been having a ball for so long at tax payers expense. They should have to dig deep like the rest of us.

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Jedi boy:

I think its good that MP's spending is going to be made public (If it really happens). They have been having a ball for so long at tax payers expense. They should have to dig deep like the rest of us.

They do dig deep into the public purse, to get every last penny for themselves!!!!

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SK
The Best Photographer in the world 4th November - 5th November 2006 & 17th-18 November 2007
Oldboy’s Gallery

Oh come on - they can only spend £300 on a mirror - I'm sure we'd all struggle to get a mirror for that!

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They need big mirrors so they can inspect their fat heads and over inflated egos!

Most of those things on the list I'd be happy to have in my first (and only) home - these 'expenses' are for their second homes!

Scandelous

 

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Phil Jackson
My DCM Gallery

But the poor dears don't earn much - they're always telling us how much more they can earn in other occupations. OK give them a decent wage, pay their staff direct, move some tenants out of one of those tower blocks in Tower Hamlets or similar into better housing - and let those MPs with constituencies outside the London area have the use of one of those flats when they need to stay in London - let them see how people have to really live by living amongst them!

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Maybe if they were doing a good job it would not be quite so bad. But they are not doing a go job. They are making a big mess. And getting plenty or perks whilst doing so.

      

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My DCM Gallery

I recall in the mid-nineties MPs voted themselves one of the biggest pay rises ever. That was the same year that teachers (I was a teacher at the time) got a zero per cent pay increase. Yes, that's not zero as in real, taking into account cost of living. Zero as in actual, no difference to the numbers on my pay packet.

Someone had to pay for John Major's gambling on the Exchange Rate Mechanism, I suppose.

Anyway, it's all fair enough - bloody teachers, sack the lot of them, I say! Too much holiday and too much whinging!

I wonder if anyone else has any opinions on our ejukayshun sisstem?

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Chris Seary

My gallery

My Blog

It’s diabolical quite frankly. The whole system is flawed, contaminated with government spin directed targets. The whole policy of massaging exam pass statistics so as to suggest that the system is working is shambolic. Whilst studying education recently I was amazed and actually quite shocked by the way that we are failing to younger generation by failing to ensure even basic key skills are achieved. Testing and grading children at such a young age can only be counter productive. Whilst sports days are banned from schools because it encourages competition, we end up pitting children against each other in the exam hall. The end product is over weight and unfit children, many of which are in danger of failing because they have believed themselves less worthy based on such ludicrous tests. Self fulfilling prophecy. No where lese in Europe does such a ridiculous state of affair exists; that is why we now have one of the worst educational records in the EU. Government red tape, targets and league tables are quite literally ensuring that money is being squandered covering up the state of the system instead of being used to educate. The NHS is suffering the same fate as is the military. Children are leaving school with meaningless qualifications due to the repeated refusal of fat cats to admit that it’s wrong, patients and servicepersons are dieing due to under funding and spin centred incentives and all the while ministers lie through falsely smiling teeth so as to ensure another term feeding at the trough of tax payer’s money.

The thing that bugs me is that as a civil servant, I find that my pay-rise is being capped by the self same people who are busy awarding themselves all these perks - all in the interest of the economy!

How much can they claim without needing a receipt? For me, its a fiver...

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Paul Montgomery:

The thing that bugs me is that as a civil servant, I find that my pay-rise is being capped by the self same people who are busy awarding themselves all these perks - all in the interest of the economy! How much can they claim without needing a receipt? For me, its a fiver...

At present it £250 per item.

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SK
The Best Photographer in the world 4th November - 5th November 2006 & 17th-18 November 2007
Oldboy’s Gallery

Sometimes I get so angry........!!

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Ha ha great pic Sue. Nice detail lol

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Cracking photo Sue and about sums up our views.

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SK
The Best Photographer in the world 4th November - 5th November 2006 & 17th-18 November 2007
Oldboy’s Gallery