Watching Newsnight Scotland last night it struck me the hypocrisy and lies that the SSP are willing to try and sell the electorate, Frances Curran of the SSP was interviewed about the expenses claims of MSPs. It may surprise some of you that I am NOT writing about the expenses claims themselves, I am not concerned with the way that the SSP and Solidarity allegedly pay their staff that costs more than others at the Parliament, I am concerned with the lies that have been perpetrated by both Ms Curran and Ms Kane (in the past).
The SSP MSPs take their ENTIRE allowance, they are given it, they take it, what they do with it after it is given to them is donate half of it to their political party, this effectively means (as pointed out last night) that a party that less than 5% of the West of Scotland population voted for is using public money to not only keep itself in business (so to speak) but, it is using it to fight the elections.
Their claim that they only take £25,000 is misleading (and that is being kind), it is not a new tactic of the SSP to suggest this, in the last elections my opponent Mr Hogg did the same thing, suggestions were made that he gave his special responsibility allowance to a charity, what it didn't say was that he was the chairperson of the organisation and set the organisation up! The hypocrisy of the SSP shows no end, Ms Kane tried to suggest that she didn't take the full amount of her allowance on Question Time some time back and the audience called her on it, since then the media have been pretty quiet about it.
6 comments:
When I frequented the UK Politics Forum I had an interesting war of words with an SSP supporter.
You are right in your assertion, the SSP take their full allowance and that is what they are paid. If I am paid £10,000 a year by my company and I choose to donate £5,000 to, say, the Mountain Rescue I am still paid £10,000 and to claim anything else is a straight lie.
But in addition to this my friend had fun attacking other MSPs for the Edinburgh allowance claim but refused to recognise that the SSP took the most in office expenses, all of which went into central coffers (along with MSP donations, individual memberships and donations from individuals) of the party before the individual offices made their claims against that fund.
Their accounting methods would impress Enron.
What really pissed him off though was the fact that as I worked in Paisley at the time and I walked passed her office at lunchtime for exercise I noted that despite her massive claims her office was never opened. I must have passed it a hundred times and in that time I only ever seen it open 5 times (once I seen Hogg standing outside it looking bemused, he must have been told it would be open).
"The SSP MSPs take their ENTIRE allowance, they are given it, they take it, what they do with it after it is given to them is donate half of it to their political party,"
Point 1
They have to,they don`t have any millionaire BIG business people seeking favours from them Rayleen. And in the unlightly event that they did would have more principles then to take it.
Point 2
How many New Labour MSPs give half their allowance/wage to their party?. Or do they keep it all for themselves?.
"that a party that less than 5% of the West of Scotland population voted for is using public money to not only keep itself in business (so to speak) but, it is using it to fight the elections."
Point 3
As you WELL know their case load is great due to the work they have to do and there only being 6 socialists in the Scottish parilment.
"Their claim that they only take £25,000 is misleading"
You try and spilt hairs don`t you Rayleen to make the SSP somehow look bad, you fail. I know of NO other MP/MSP/or any other that takes only half of their wage for themselves.THEY are Magnificent and an example we should all set for our children.
George: If you think teaching your children to lie is something that you should be doing, by all means tell them to follow the example of the SSP. Their representatives tell people they only take half the money, they don't that is not splitting hairs!
A recent study showed that the majority of people in Scotland think that the list MSP's are second string MSP's and many don't even know who they are! So I am unclear as to what you mean about their case work load, I know of instances where list MSP's (Not just the SSP) have advised the constituent to go see their own MSP and given the name and contact details of the directly elected MSP because there is no milage in the story!
I have a feeling that you are not entirely genuine when you post, but given that you chose not to blog yourself it is difficult to judge your own opinions.
I am a 58 year old Scot married, disabled. I have five children (all grown up) four grandchildren (so far).
Please deal with my point that the SSP MSPs only take half their allowance/wage for themselves.
"I know of instances where list MSP's (Not just the SSP) have advised the constituent to go see their own MSP and given the name and contact details of the directly elected MSP because there is no milage in the story!"
I know Colin Fox, Rayleen, could you please give me details on the above and I will take it up with Colin.
Typo mistake, I am 57, making myself older then I am?.
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