Patrick Mercer deserves his own thread

[Quartz]

It certainly looks like he's been well and truly caught. Cash for questions? Check! Fake pass? Check! Undeclared income? Check!

 

[Dan U]

Still staying as an MP though. Which is nice.

 

[Quartz]

And immediately on posting I find the existing thread: http://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/cash-for-questions.311045/

 

[gosub]

I'd rather he had his own cell. Actually probably be better if he shared

 

[Nine Bob Note]

I tried to find evidence that he was one of the "there's no parliamentary time for gay marriage" tories, as that would have been so sweet, but no such luck. He's a just a cunt.

 

[19sixtysix]

I quite like the way Panorama did this with the the Telegraph to ensure he's well and truly fucked. No claims of anti-tory bias available at the telegraph.

 

[butchersapron]

People claimed their expenses story was just an attempt to push the tories to the right - i.e a pro-tory story.

 

[frogwoman]

People claimed their expenses story was just an attempt to push the tories to the right - i.e a pro-tory story.

I remember that

 

[brogdale]

Mercer would be proud; a third dedicted thread, and a (dis)honourable mention in at least one other.

 

[Streathamite]

Mercer would be proud; a third dedicted thread, and a (dis)honourable mention in at least one other.

probably his most significant achievement; he was a complete nonentity as an MP

 

[Maurice Picarda]

He was amazingly cheap, just four grand to get five questions asked about Fiji. Perhaps the Telegraph was put up to this by other MPs, concerned about price erosion.

 

[J Ed]

Saw a voxpop about him on the local news where they interviewed about 6 people and they were all positive despite knowing what happened, wtf?

 

[Poo Flakes]

Check this out, first of many apparently.

 

[Quartz]

Remind me, how large is the ConDem majority?

 

[butchersapron]

Large enough not to be effected by this.

 

[Quartz]

Check this out, first of many apparently.

It's going to be a good test of the BBC's alleged bias as to how many of each party were approached.

 

[Quartz]

Still staying as an MP though. Which is nice.

Missed this earlier: it's his last duty to his fellow MPs, isn't it? Heaven forfend that an anti-corruption candidate get elected to expose the snouts at the trough!

 

[Wilf]

I'd rather he had his own cell. Actually probably be better if he shared

with Eric Joyce.

 

[butchersapron]

It's going to be a good test of the BBC's alleged bias as to how many of each party were approached.

Do you really think that they're that stupid not to think about that?

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

with Eric Joyce.

it would be like making violent panda and sasserferato share a cell

 

[agricola]

Check this out, first of many apparently.

Such a shame that there isnt an easily available way - such as a register perhaps - of lobbyists that MPs can go and check to see if the people who have been paying them money for questions, access, passes and whatnot are hacks or not.

 

[agricola]

It's going to be a good test of the BBC's alleged bias as to how many of each party were approached.

TBH the whole question of MPs being bent isnt really that important (which is best evidenced by the relatively tiny sums that were on offer to Mercer), its ex-ministers and especially the senior civil servants who are the real area of concern.

 

[Maurice Picarda]

TBH the whole question of MPs being bent isnt really that important (which is best evidenced by the relatively tiny sums that were on offer to Mercer), its ex-ministers and especially the senior civil servants who are the real area of concern.

Select committee members (and certainly chairs) are worth corrupting. I agree that backbenchers are a waste of money otherwise. It's interesting that there haven't been any major access scandals yet involving SPADs - young, greedy and in an excellent position to influence minor policy or procurement issues.

 

[Quartz]

TBH the whole question of MPs being bent isnt really that important (which is best evidenced by the relatively tiny sums that were on offer to Mercer),

I disagree; I think it is that important.

its ex-ministers and especially the senior civil servants who are the real area of concern.

Mercer is an ex-minister, but yes, that's important too.

 

[Poo Flakes]

TBH the whole question of MPs being bent isnt really that important (which is best evidenced by the relatively tiny sums that were on offer to Mercer), its ex-ministers and especially the senior civil servants who are the real area of concern.

The problem is that a lot of the corruption that actually occurs is completely legal so no-one cares about it. The Tories do not want to properly legislate against lobbying because then we can see all the legal stuff that they do (the dinners, the people, etc).

 

[taffboy gwyrdd]

Tip of the iceberg.

£100k to £250k buys policy influence, as previously solicited and filmed by the Sunday Times.

Like Mercer, the bloke stepped down coz it looks awkward.

What it speaks of is systemic corruption. Every major bill and contract of this parliament should be under independent scrutiny for corruption, with a view to possible prosecutions.

This is in no way an exaggeration.

Guess what? Mark is angry

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Wanker.

A monkey for 1/2 a day, with numerous meetings beforehand to secure it. FFS, embarrassed at how cheap our corrupt politicos are.

 

[DexterTCN]

Wanker.

A monkey for 1/2 a day, with numerous meetings beforehand to secure it. FFS, embarrassed at how cheap our corrupt politicos are.

And he's already been paid for that day by us.