Well there was me writing only a few months ago about Christina Rees' expenses and the fact that no claims had been made for rental payments to her landlord, Neath Constituency Labour Party. It was too good to last and the most recent IPSA figures published on 12 May 2016 reveal that the good citizens of Neath, as well as any political parties other than Welsh Labour, are being made mugs of again (see below).
Applications for expenses' reimbursement are supposed to be made within 90 days of them occurring. As Ms Rees has been in residence at 39 Windsor Road since May 2015 it was logical to assume until just last week that no rent was passing for some reason. And that reason might reasonably have been that this building is not just a local office for her, but seems to double up as:
1. an office for the Neath Constituency Labour Party who actually have the same telephone number,
2. a contact address and canvassing base for the election campaign of Jeremy Miles,
3. a meeting place for telephone canvassing for the last General Election.
Doubtless it will be used for the EU Referendum for LabourIn to have coffee and chew the fat, and for local campaigns to elect another load of self-serving, greedy Labour wastes of space councillors to NPT next year.
--------------------------------------------
IPSA rules indicate that if an MP's office is used by others, they should be charged for such occupation and IPSA reimbursed in respect of that use. Don't hold your breath expecting this to have happened in Neath. It didn't happen in Hain's days and I strongly suspect nothing has changed.
This rule is clearly set out below:
The MPs’ Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses 2015/2016
Use of offices by others
6.17
Where an MP who claims office rental expenditure grants a licence or gives permission to any person for the use of the constituency office (or any part of it) on one or more occasions, a fee must be charged which reflects an appropriate proportion of the rent and other costs incurred.
6.18
This fee must be remitted to IPSA in its entirety
It really couldn't be any clearer. Even a donkey should be capable of understanding that. But the published IPSA figures do not show any remittances paid back. So nothing has changed. It's just what Hain did (or rather didn't do). Thus far, since last May until January 2016, we have paid out £10,588 towards the running of this office - that does not include staff costs, of course.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ms Rees' rental payments are actually less transparent than her predecessor's because at least in Hain's days office rental claims were submitted on a regular basis and you could pick out which quarter of the year they related to. Rees has thus far submitted just one claim for £4,575, dated 18 December 2015, and which didn't come to light until IPSA published figures last week. It's impossible to see if this is a claim for the calendar year May - December 2015, if it's a complete accounting period May 2015 - March 2016, or if it is some other random period.
As usual we are kept in the dark and have to speculate - which is a totally unsatisfactory situation. It seems to me that it doesn't really matter who Labour pick to represent us. Whoever they put there, we will be treated much the same way. And that is, to know our place. To sit back and accept without question the way they use the rules to benefit themselves, to swallow the nepotism and cronyism as if it's we who should be grateful they have relatives and friends who will do work for them. They play the game that they are looking out for us. But rest assured - their first loyalty, the prime objective, is to ensure that the Labour domination of our local, regional and national politics continues. It's a bit like the primieval urge to reproduce - it's in their DNA and it won't be denied. That's the actual game plan. We are here just to facilitate it.
And if you think I'm talking nonsense I'd ask you to reflect on the hysterical outbursts right across the Labour social media because Plaid Cymru had the temerity just to nominate Leanne Wood in the vote for First Minister in the Welsh Assembly last week. I cannot recall such spite, vitriol, hatred and lies being bandied about in many a year. And the worst thing was - they knew they were lying. It was way over the top, completely irrational - and totally unacceptable. But that's what happens when a spoilt brat who is always used to getting his way thinks he may have to share his toys. One day, if there's any justice in the world, that spoilt brat will have to hand those toys on to someone that knows how to play properly with them, and is prepared to share them if needs be. That day can't come soon enough.
