KHOODEELAAR! No to Crossrail agenda-stooged role of the two Select Committees in the UK Parliament...

From the web site of the LONDON EVENING nostandards STANDARD


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Revealed: the peers who claim the most expenses
Sri Carmichael, Consumer Affairs Reporter
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A SERIES of peers claimed hundreds of pounds each day in expenses without asking ministers any questions and rarely participating in the chamber of the House of Lords.

A "value for money" index compiled by the Evening Standard from the latest list of members' expenses reveals which Lords charged taxpayers up to £300 a day "subsistence" despite rarely speaking in the chamber.

The list includes former BBC director general Lord Birt, a crossbencher, who is the highest claiming peer. He claimed on average £296.38 in overnight and day subsistence for each of the 72 days he attended the House between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2008.

During that year he did not table a single question, spoke in three debates and voted in five per cent of divisions.

There is growing concern over the make-up and role of the House of Lords following allegations that four peers offered to change the law in exchange for cash. Scotland Yard is considering whether the allegations warrant a criminal investigation.

Two of them, Lord Moonie and Lord Snape, who have denied any wrongdoing, feature in the top 30 highest charging peers. Other peers high up the list of expenses claims include former Labour party economic adviser Lord Eatwell, who is president of Queens' College, Cambridge. He tabled no questions, spoke in 10 debates and voted in 18 per cent of divisions last year.

Lord Birt, Lord Eatwell and another crossbencher in the top five highest charging peers, Lord Oxburgh, are all paid for consultancy work outside Parliament. Six former MPs - three Liberal Democrat, two Conservative and one Labour - feature in the top 30 index.

Also included are the Conservatives' shadow lord chancellor Lord Kingsland, the Liberal Democrats' president Baroness Scott and Lord Razzall, the party's business spokesman.

He shares a London home with his partner Baroness Bonham-Carter and they both take full advantage of the living expenses on offer. Their main residence is in Wiltshire.

Trade unionist Lord Burlison, who died last May, topped the index. He was instrumental in starting Tony Blair and Lord Mandelson's political careers, helping to select them as MPs.

The list also details 39 peers who chose not to ask for any money.

Peers can claim up to £165.50 overnight accommodation expenses for each day they attend the House if they register their main home outside Greater London. A member needs to enter the chamber or a committee and be ticked off by a clerk to qualify for this payment, but it does not matter how long they stay or whether they participate.

Peers can push their total overnight subsistence claim higher if they have a second home in London as a parliamentary base. Then they are entitled to up to £110.50 maintenance costs for each night they spend away from London on select committee business. Peers do not incur any expenses on such trips as they are all paid by the select committee.

A day-to-day allowance of up to £82.50 is also available to cover meals and "incidental" travel. The Standard did not include office costs or travel costs in the value for money index. The latter varies according to the location of the member's main residence. All peers are entitled to first-class train tickets and business-class flights as well as generous car mileage. No receipts are required to claim allowances.

Several of the peers in the table live within striking distance of London by car or train, but can claim travel if they live outside Greater London.

Mark Wallace, campaign director of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: "It's unacceptable that some peers are getting away with claiming huge amounts of taxpayers' money and then doing little or no work in return."

The House of Lords information office said the Lords cost less than a third of what it costs to run the House of Commons per member. Last year each peer cost the taxpayer £168,000 and each MP cost £599,000. None of the peers was available for comment today.



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Here's a sample of the latest views published.

One question.
How do I become a Lord? It seems to be perfect way to top up my oap.

- Colin Macpherson, Gramat France

It is peculiar how some of these lightweights have so many expenses yet ask hardly any questions and appear in the Lords so rarely.

Maybe certain expenses ought to be investigate more closely eg secretarial help and I don't mean family members. Let them be identified; I am sure wives would like to know.

- Michael Waugh, Kensington

This is all part of the REALLY BIG BOYS (and girls) CLUB, isn't it? All in the pig swill together stuffing their gobs with cash. What a disgrace. And we lowly taxpayers are supposed to just take this lying down while our lives are being ruined by the bankers and politicians.

- Alf Bennett, London, England.

The other point to make is that these payments are described as "expenses" and hence tax free!!!! I doubt if the Inland Revenue would allow this to happen anywhere else.

- jeremy E, London

Unelected, unaccountable, good value for money? Hmmm... Don't think so sunshine.

- Frank, Home Counties, England.

they also have a five star restaurant and are only charged pennies for the meals they order,,,,,,,

- Stan Shaw, DeLand Florida USA

..I refer to Gilbert & Sullivan's opera Iolanthe. There you will find all the information on the HoL you'll need. When W S Gilbert wrote this in the 19th century, it led to howls of outrage from the HoL. It would be great timing for this to return to the London stage - it would cheer everyone up and show the HoL up for what it is - a gravy train for elderly politicians with nothing else to do and do it very well.

- Joannie, London, England

Troughs/pigs spring to mind but will anything change I doubt it,we are too complacent.We should be shouting from the rooftops about some members of this august assembly to put a stop to their gravy train rip offs.Will the police take any action not on your life it would,nt be politically prudent.

- roy c, wigan

The Lords provide a valueble backstop against kneejerk and often undemocratic laws New Labour have tried to rush through parliment in recent years. Expenses are abused on both sides of the house as we know and should be cleaned up, but I would be very worried if the Lords were not able to challenge parliament.

- Steve, Hereford

Nu Labor go away!

- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London

What self serving scum we now seem to have in the House of Lords!!

- Doff, filey uk

If an electrician has to travel 200 miles to do a job and stay over night,he does it.
He cannot, however claim expenses to do the job. So if you wish to be a Lord or a MP for that matter and your job is in London and you live elsewhere, thats your choice, it should not be for the tax payer to subsidise your traveling and accomodation, or second home expenses.

- Barbus, Liverpool

What are you doing to this country.?

- David,Chertsey, Chertsey.UK.

I used to be in favour of a 2nd house, as a safety valve to crazy decisions made in Parliament. Although the money involved per member is not that great, it still looks like a great wheeze and the cheapest alternative to an old peoples home in the country and from the ga-ga comments from many of its members and the fact an already pensioned old MP, they can still draw a few hundred quid, from just turning up each day. This is an insult and travesty to millions of ordinary pensioners. Get rid of them all, unless they want to serve the people and turn up for nix.

- Bondy, london

Which begs the question... why were they appointed in the first place? Reform can no longer be put on hold.

- Dhanraj, Basildon Essex

The House of Lords currently quite happily accommodates both a convicted arsonist, Lord Watson, and that bumptious perjurer, Lord Archer.
Once you manage to get your snout in that particular Westminster trough, if your a Freemason, you're in it for life.

- Frank, Bristol UK

These are all parasites who don't give a damn to the working classes in hardship !

- Joe, Swanley Kent

What is your exact methodology and sources in determining this list? I am not 100% sure that these figures stand up to scrutiny.

- Mike, New Zealand

GOOD POINT...
Val Daniels, Mijas Costa, Spain
And...
WELL SAID...
Fly, london

- Mark H, London England

Its all a big tax payer funded racket.
But the common man is helpless, weaponless, and is unable to fight against the political elite that have taken over the country and re-instituted serfdom.

- Trunk, US

There has to be mobilisation against the MPs and these unelected peers who continue to grab as much as they can from the people of the UK. Time and time again we hear about incredible acts of gluttony as these people rob from the UK tax payer. When so many people in the UK are struggling to feed themselves and are being evicted, these privileged few are continuing to live a hedonistic lifestyle funded by the UK taxpayer.

I am so angry. This needs to stop. Now.

- The People, London, UK.

Why did you not point out that 8 of the highest claimants were Conservatives, 9 were Labour, and 8 were Liberal Democrats. Not much to choose between any of them. The real difference between Conservative peers and peers from the other parties is that only the Conservatives have an ex-convict (Lord Archer), and a serving prisoner (Lord Black) in the House of Lords.

- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa, Spain

I thought Labour was going to abolish the Lords; instead they seem to be taking every advantage of the gravy train. The sooner we have an elected upper chamber the better.

- John, London, UK

For some reason these lazy good for nothing spongers see this as their divine right, they have no shame and couldn't care less about pensioners, or anyone else, demonstrating. If they did care they wouldn't behave the way they do. I personally know one elderly peer who is amazingly adept at scrounging as much for free as he possibly can - and he is absolutely loaded. It makes me sick!

- Kathy, london

Why do we even have a House of Lords?

- Frederick, London

The country is in deep recession,we are all tightening our belts and these people are claiming every penny from our taxes they can get.We are encouraged to use energy saving lamps,turn the heating down and other ecconomical means while these "lords" are encouraged to behave in this despicable manner.I can sleep at night with a clear conscience can they?

- Gerald Diamond, Romford Essex

It would certainly not embarrass the gilded socks off the Lords if pensioners demonstrated. They have no shame.

- Peter Little, Wendover, England

Do we really need all these peers - they are clearly all on the gravy train and don't appear to be value for money. We have approximately 700 - SEVEN HUNDRED - Lords - it seems outrageous when we have a total population of 60 odd million compared with the approximately 300 million in the American population and they manage with 100 senators in their upper house!

- Barbara, Walton-on-Thames, England

Its always been the same but as per nothing will be done about it, certainly agree with Flys comment.

- Mike, London England

How many of these are in the "Old Boys Club"? (Freemasons are not required to declare their membership) They tend to serve each others interests first.

- Frank, Bristol

Expenses should be paid to reimburse money paid out. It is a farcical situation that MPs and Lords can claim a daily allowance and not even have to turn up to do a day's work.

The French wouldn't stand for it.

- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one

And that's not even including all the 'extras.' Lord Taylor of Blackburn has been a Lord for 30 years! A good ten year span after serious thoughts were being had about misbehaving lords. And he has been awarded an OBE and an MBE. After 20 years as a local councillor. Now he gets £330 per day attendance, has apparently enjoyed £400,000 in expenses and picks up £120,000 consultancy fees at the drop of an eyelid- plus other remuneration one may suppose. Smart fellow and clearly brighter than I am, suffering from tobacco withdrawal symptoms as I struggle on, looking in despair at my old age pension of £90 per week. Yes, that's £90 per week. The lowest in Europe. Our leaders need to do something about the fabric of our British society, before all we Old Age Pensioners take to the streets and invade Parliament Square, embarrassing the gilded socks off them, waving huge banners saying 'Bring in the UN.' And we've got a list of those who'll be first in the tumbril. Oh yes.

- John Problem, Hackney Wick, London, UK

Can R.F. and all the other people suggesting an elected Lords explain why they think that would be any better? Haven't we had a constant stream of sleeze stories from Parliament as well? I'm sure that if we broke down the list of highest claiming peers that the non-hereditary, government appointed ones would be the majority so surely the pproblem has been exacerbated by appointees. At least the Lords do not get a salary as well.

- Mark, London

So the best-value Lord is a Hereditary Peer.

Looking down the list I see that Baroness Smith of Gilmorehill - whose qualifications for sitting in the Upper House were (a) being the widow of former Labour Party Leader John Smith and (b) a minor champion of Scottish Arts - claimed £60,000 for tabling no questions, speaking in no debates and only even bothering to vote 22% of the time.

Lets see a parallel list of the attendence rates under the old peerage system: it would be interesting to see how they compare. Also, more details about WHO the HECK these people are . . . ?!

- Roz, Chamonix, France - if it really matters!

It may be better for their Lordships to be charged a daily attendance fee, in place of the present allowance and expenses they receive. This could sort out those who really wish to provide public service from those intent on milking the system.

- Duyfken, UK

The latest revelations clearly indicate an immediate need to abolish the house of lords and halt this gravy train in it's tracks. The upper house should consist of elected (honest) members who are accountable to the tax payer. This might help to restore the confidence of the electorate. The current government is seen for what it is - corrupt and dishonest. If found guilty of corruption then the four lords must be severely punished. Justice must not just be done - it must be seen to be done.

- R.F., Yorks, UK

the scum always floats to the surface and right now there is a lot on scum on the pint better known as the UK.

- Fly, london