MP jailed for 18 months for expenses fraud

[Saracen]

Ex-Labour MP David Chaytor, having been convicted (after pleading guilty) of offences involving fraudulent expenses claims, now faces an 18 month jail sentence. What a come-down ..... Westminster Parliamentary privilege to the back of a prison van and a term behind bars.

But, as the judge pointed out, such offences are not only the usual fraud, but a gross abuse of one of the most levels of trust that can be placed in someone, that being to be part of the process by which the laws we all have to live under are made, and the scandal over expenses did, of course, do huge damage to the public's trust in politics and all politicians, whether they were criminally bent, or not.

And, there are two more MPs and two Lords also facing trials, all of whom have apparently pleaded not guilty. So there's more to come on this, one way or the other.

Does this, though, signify the start of the process by which the public might get some trust back in politicians? Not, in my mind, if the current crop of MPs don't stop bitching about the system they currently have to operate under, it won't.

Link to more details on the BBC.

[TheAnimus]

Well look at it this way Saracen, at least its a start?

[Saracen]

Well look at it this way Saracen, at least its a start?

1 down, about 643 to go?

Edit .... actually, I'm not sure he counts. He stood down at the last election anyway. Talk about jumping before getting a flaming great push!

[Andeh13]

Shoot them all, a quick & easy solution with virtually no downsides!

[Consfearacy]

This guy used to eat at the restaurant I used to work for in Bury and probably paid for it with stolen money.

Its about time someone actually paid for this, because fraud is theft at the end of the day and I was beginning to think they had swept it all under the carpet.

Very happy to see justice served.

[chuckskull]

Good.

Personally I would have liked to see a harsher sentence, misuse of public office in any form should have very harsh penalties IMO and what this guy got in reality is closer to 6 months. Still nice to see him convicted.

[matthab]

Its a start and took long enough. It was one big free for all and it seems alot of people still have got away scot free.

I hope more people are punished.

[Baggio18]

About time too, although as everyone else has said, lots more to work through.
Might be good is some of this crop are made an example of, so that in the future, no MPs think they can take tax payers money for granted.

[jim]

Personally, I feel like these are some of the least of politicians' crimes.

So no, for me, it does not "signify the start of the process by which the public might get some trust back in politicians".

[j.col]

About time too, although as everyone else has said, lots more to work through.
Might be good is some of this crop are made an example of, so that in the future, no MPs think they can take tax payers money for granted.

well said.
now i am just waiting for a Margaret Moran (ex luton MP) who was also caught out, and then went on a 1 year sick leave, so she never returned to her constituency (lives in Southampton) after being caught out. what a COWARD

[santa claus]

Good.

Personally I would have liked to see a harsher sentence, misuse of public office in any form should have very harsh penalties IMO and what this guy got in reality is closer to 6 months. Still nice to see him convicted.

Agreed. He's got off lightly. Five years would be more appropriate. People earn less than he claimed in 'expenses'.

[Saracen]

Personally, I feel like these are some of the least of politicians' crimes.

So no, for me, it does not "signify the start of the process by which the public might get some trust back in politicians".

That's rather how I feel. If this is the tip, I'd love to know just how big the iceberg is.

It might be a start though. But I'd stress that the start means there's more to come, and hanging a sacrificial goat or two to 'appease the plebs' will not do it, not for me, anyway.

.... People earn less than he claimed in 'expenses'.

Quite. It's not like he cheated over a couple of books of stamps.

[mikerr]

Its a start and took long enough. It was one big free for all and it seems alot of people still have got away scot free.

Agreed - many just apologized and kept their position (even without paying it back!).

In any other job they'd have been summarily dismissed and prosecuted.

It's just the fact that it was so widespread that more haven't been prosecuted IMO.

[listy]

i think every last one of them should have been charged had it been mr joe public they would have been taken to limits of the laws im sure

[Lucio]

i think every last one of them should have been charged had it been mr joe public they would have been taken to limits of the laws im sure

However, there's a difference between the expense system being abused because it was a crap system and it being criminally defrauded. As I understand it, the ones being prosecuted are alleged (or convicted) of defrauding the system with *fake* claims.


The ones who are truely accountable for the crap system is every person who didn't give a damn and didn't ask the questions "how does the system work" before this all blew up.

[Zak33]

The ones who are truely accountable for the crap system is every person who didn't give a damn and didn't ask the questions "how does the system work" before this all blew up.

good point.

Still... it has to be said.. for a long long time MP's have taken thee job on knowing they COULD claim all the legit stuff.... so taking it away now is like having a huge paycut.