Gerry on the expenses scandal…
On the Stephen Nolan Show, Sinn Fein MPs bring pack lunches to work with them when they go to Westminster, which is why they don’t claim food allowance (or overnight accommodation). Who needs a food allowance, when you have your jam piece? And, no, he has no idea who his London landlord is, but he is sure that “these matters are handled at Westminster work all of this out with our people, and it is all kosher and above board and entirely legal.” Although he did offer that “if we can get accommodation at cheaper rate, I’m up for that”.
Currently taking soundings from across the piste on how the parties are doing in the face of the expenses scandal… Will report back in due course (in case some of you think I am ignoring the question altogether…
Delicious irony that those you boycott on the basis of principle seem to be pretty rare in operating on the basis of principle.
Early (Provisional) verdict on SF: Irish Rebels show the way.
Futuring: Will the Tories follow the insurgents model?
Imagery: The packed lunch V Moat.
Sinn Fein MPs bring pack lunches to work with them when they go to Westminster.
I thought he said Stormont, not Westminster. Why would he go to Westminster anyway? Suppose he could watch it on BBC Parliament like Gregory ‘Freeview’ Campbell.
Sinn Fein are of course the only political party that are likely to gain votes on the back of exuberant expense claims, paid for by the British tax payer. File it under; IRA on the dole; the Northern Bank robbery and cross-border smuggling…
The interview sounded like a party political broadcast for SF – with Grizzly reeling off oneliners (its a gravy train – and SF are not on it) that sounded as if the Nolan was setting the replies up.
62″ Televisions do not watch themselves. At £500 000 for 5 they are cheaper than a certain Chelsea ans Tottenham Hotspur supporter and his bird.
I’ve never believed Gerry’s “average industrial wage” claims and I certainly don’t believe that he doesn’t take advantage of Westminster’s extensive repertoire of subsidized restaurants.
CS, all of Sinn Feins expenses are with the Telegraph, are you saying the Telegraph are in on this conspiracy too?
Regards the industrial wage, are you saying it’s everyone or just Gerry that isn’t drawing it, obviously the SF accounts people must be involved aswell as they would see the money going into the party (or not) possibly the bank is involved in this conspiracy and provide dummy accounts.
their is a big diference between ‘don’t believe’ and ‘don’t want to believe’ one is akin to science the other regilous. It sounds as if you don’t want it to be so, is it because you think all or no politicans or political parties should have this attitude.
On the show Gerry Adams said he didn’t abuse the system because it was a privilege to be asked to represent people. Windback to Robbo’s comments about all the other better paid jobs he’s turned down to be in politics hence we’re lucky to have him now give me the money type attitude.
Grizzly sounded all civic minded and responsible and he owes Nolan one for the those gentle lobs over the net which he smashed back into midrift of gravy-trainners.
Contrast that with Gregory who came out with the unbelievable line that some of his friends told him he should have taken even more of the taxpayers money. Lol
Yes, Sammy but…
Look, I thought it was moderately funny when he admitted he didn’t know who his landlord was… Martin now says he does, and the person in question is not a SF donor…
It’s a level of information that is not included on the Telegraph’s DVD, or perhaps anyone outside the party; so we’ll have to take the dFM’s word for it… Though clearly that is a matter of personal choice…
Adams was clearly enjoying lamming into his rivals, but on this, despite what he says, there are questions to be answered… If he would answer them directly, the questions would go away… immediately…
I’d like nothing more than for this stuff to be hit straight to the boundary… I’m as fed up as you with shitty little stories about alleged SF’s impropriety on this thing and that thing…
No one who has followed NI politics for the last ten years or so seriously expects them to be answered though…
Mick, Could it be that after the fact senior people asked the question internally as to who the landlord is and his connection to SF, because their are journos out their who will pick at any possible indiscretion.
Do you have to know someone to check a list of donors to see if their name is there, or can you just look for the name?
But still, is it right to start this witchhunt on the basis of an unknown question to a unknown estate agent.
Its worth noting, that to my knowledge, although some (a lot)of the figures for goods and services seem steep noone is questioning or implying that any other MP was up to no good.
Gerry Adams covered it on the Nolan show, why does it matter that the landlord is Irish, and I do find it disturbing how the media portrayed these stories as
1)Sinn Fein are renting from an Irish landlord and his family.
AND
2)Malik is renting from a local businessman
fin: and I do find it disturbing how the media portrayed these stories
Yeah. It’s just a coincidence that SF is paying several times over the odds for five flats in two different properties rented from the same Irish landlord.
It could just as easily have happened if they were spending their own money instead of ours.
er several times, five flats…. reader methinks you’ve been smoking a tad too much tonight, put your stash away sonny and go to bed and come back to slugger when you’ve got a grip
Mick,
a bit of backtracking perchance?
“there are questions to be answered… If he would answer them directly, the questions would go away… immediately…”
I would never contend that there might not be questions to answer – what I would contend is that in your posts – in spite of repeated requests by myself and Fin and others you and Pete seemed unable to distinguish between those questions and the EVIDENCE against the main parties for clear troughing and trousering. Further there was no balance in your SF posts i.e no proper recognition that that they actually had a policy DESIGNED to prevent the 2 Ts (troughing and trousering).