Bisley_Bob
09-25-2009, 04:46 PM
Title pretty much says it all.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/6230285/MPs-expenses-mole-anger-over-Armed-Forces-treatment-led-to-leak.html
The mole who leaked the data has told his story for the first time, in the hope that it will shame the Government into finally supplying the right equipment for the thousands of soldiers risking their lives in Afghanistan.
Politicians “still don’t get it”, he said, adding that they were still preoccupied with their own financial situation and MPs’ claims rather than the plight of troops.
"It’s not easy to watch footage on the television news of a coffin draped in a Union Jack and then come in to work the next day and see on your computer screen what MPs are taking for themselves,” he said.
“Hearing from the serving soldiers, about how they were having to work there to earn enough money to buy themselves decent equipment, while the MPs could find public money to buy themselves all sorts of extravagances, only added to the feeling that the public should know what was going on.
“That helped tip the balance in the decision over whether I should or should not leak the expenses data.”
His account appears in No Expenses Spared, a book which is published today and discloses the full story of what Gordon Brown described as “the biggest Parliamentary scandal for two centuries”.
Workers who processed the MPs' claims included serving soldiers, who were moonlighting between tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan to earn extra cash for body armour and other vital equipment.
The soldiers were furious when they saw what MPs, including the Prime Minister, were claiming for and their anger convinced one of their civilian colleagues - the mole - that taxpayers had a right to know how their money was being spent.
It was the position of the soldiers, who had used their annual leave to find temporary work as security guards, that caused the most outrage. “As the days progressed the soldiers joined in the conversations and became as angry as those doing the editing,” the mole said.
“When they’re out in Afghanistan they’re out there for Queen and country, earning £16,000 or £17,000 a year, knowing they’re going to take losses, while the MPs are sitting in Parliament on £65,000, with massive expenses, and meanwhile you’ve got bodies coming home.”
The mole said: “The people who were working on redacting the MPs’ expenses were people who were proud to be British, and they were saddened by what they saw.
“Everyone in that room was of the same mind. This was our money and these were our employees, effectively, but no one could hold them to account.
“Pretty much everyone working in that room was being paid a pittance to do their job. Meanwhile the MPs were being well paid and claiming a fortune on their expenses, yet what have they done for us in the last 10 years?
“That was why I leaked the information: because the British public deserves better.”
The Daily Telegraph's assistant editor, Andrew Pierce disclosed today how the newspaper had "clear evidence" that soldiers were members of the security team hired as part of the redaction process, even though Ministry of Defence rules ban them from taking such second jobs.
Some were working to earn "a little bit of extra money to pay for their kids' Christmas presents", Mr Pierce told BBC News, adding: "But others were there to pay for essential body armour, gloves, boots, to serve in Afghanistan. We have got clear evidence of that."
Despite public anger over their expenses, MPs have continued to claim thousands of pounds for food, mortgages and other costs.
Meanwhile, the Government has refused to bow to soldiers’ demands for better equipment similar to that given to American troops.
The Prime Minister, who faces a critical test of his leadership at next week’s Labour Party conference, has faced repeated criticism over the equipment that has been issued to troops and for his lacklustre handling of the expenses scandal.
Gordon Brown told Sky News: "As far as the troops in Afghanistan are concerned, right throughout the period I have been Chancellor and then Prime Minister, I have been determined to make sure that the troops that are serving our country are properly paid, that we make proper allowance for them, that we give them the best equipment, that we help them in every way possible."
Later, a Downing Street spokeswoman said: "The Prime Minister has the highest regard for our armed forces and the work they do. He recognises their immense sacrifice and has on all occasions expressed his gratitude towards them for this.
"It is a Government commitment to make sure our forces are properly paid, properly rewarded and that they have the best equipment at all times.
"In real terms, the defence budget will be 11% higher in 2010/11 than it was in 1997. I don't think anybody should be in any doubt that ensuring that our armed forces are properly funded and have the best equipment is a top priority for the Prime Minister and the Government."
The Telegraph mole said he was “bloody glad” he released the information. “There’s no two ways about it. I saw what was happening. I saw that information, and you just couldn’t keep that from people,” he said.
“Now that The Daily Telegraph has put this in the public domain, it has to bring about reform.”
But the mole said he had been disappointed with the response of MPs so far.
“Do they get it? I don’t know. We had a knee-jerk reaction from all the parties initially... [But now] when you listen to MPs I think they are more concerned about themselves and keeping their jobs than getting on with reform and changing our Parliament.
I love the bit about the defence budget being 11% higher. If you take into account inflation and the fact that when we buy a new bit of kit it usually costs more to maintain it than what it replaces, not to mention that in that time we've fought TWO wars! I mean bloody hell, only 11%? How could they possibly think that represents a step forward?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/6230285/MPs-expenses-mole-anger-over-Armed-Forces-treatment-led-to-leak.html
The mole who leaked the data has told his story for the first time, in the hope that it will shame the Government into finally supplying the right equipment for the thousands of soldiers risking their lives in Afghanistan.
Politicians “still don’t get it”, he said, adding that they were still preoccupied with their own financial situation and MPs’ claims rather than the plight of troops.
"It’s not easy to watch footage on the television news of a coffin draped in a Union Jack and then come in to work the next day and see on your computer screen what MPs are taking for themselves,” he said.
“Hearing from the serving soldiers, about how they were having to work there to earn enough money to buy themselves decent equipment, while the MPs could find public money to buy themselves all sorts of extravagances, only added to the feeling that the public should know what was going on.
“That helped tip the balance in the decision over whether I should or should not leak the expenses data.”
His account appears in No Expenses Spared, a book which is published today and discloses the full story of what Gordon Brown described as “the biggest Parliamentary scandal for two centuries”.
Workers who processed the MPs' claims included serving soldiers, who were moonlighting between tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan to earn extra cash for body armour and other vital equipment.
The soldiers were furious when they saw what MPs, including the Prime Minister, were claiming for and their anger convinced one of their civilian colleagues - the mole - that taxpayers had a right to know how their money was being spent.
It was the position of the soldiers, who had used their annual leave to find temporary work as security guards, that caused the most outrage. “As the days progressed the soldiers joined in the conversations and became as angry as those doing the editing,” the mole said.
“When they’re out in Afghanistan they’re out there for Queen and country, earning £16,000 or £17,000 a year, knowing they’re going to take losses, while the MPs are sitting in Parliament on £65,000, with massive expenses, and meanwhile you’ve got bodies coming home.”
The mole said: “The people who were working on redacting the MPs’ expenses were people who were proud to be British, and they were saddened by what they saw.
“Everyone in that room was of the same mind. This was our money and these were our employees, effectively, but no one could hold them to account.
“Pretty much everyone working in that room was being paid a pittance to do their job. Meanwhile the MPs were being well paid and claiming a fortune on their expenses, yet what have they done for us in the last 10 years?
“That was why I leaked the information: because the British public deserves better.”
The Daily Telegraph's assistant editor, Andrew Pierce disclosed today how the newspaper had "clear evidence" that soldiers were members of the security team hired as part of the redaction process, even though Ministry of Defence rules ban them from taking such second jobs.
Some were working to earn "a little bit of extra money to pay for their kids' Christmas presents", Mr Pierce told BBC News, adding: "But others were there to pay for essential body armour, gloves, boots, to serve in Afghanistan. We have got clear evidence of that."
Despite public anger over their expenses, MPs have continued to claim thousands of pounds for food, mortgages and other costs.
Meanwhile, the Government has refused to bow to soldiers’ demands for better equipment similar to that given to American troops.
The Prime Minister, who faces a critical test of his leadership at next week’s Labour Party conference, has faced repeated criticism over the equipment that has been issued to troops and for his lacklustre handling of the expenses scandal.
Gordon Brown told Sky News: "As far as the troops in Afghanistan are concerned, right throughout the period I have been Chancellor and then Prime Minister, I have been determined to make sure that the troops that are serving our country are properly paid, that we make proper allowance for them, that we give them the best equipment, that we help them in every way possible."
Later, a Downing Street spokeswoman said: "The Prime Minister has the highest regard for our armed forces and the work they do. He recognises their immense sacrifice and has on all occasions expressed his gratitude towards them for this.
"It is a Government commitment to make sure our forces are properly paid, properly rewarded and that they have the best equipment at all times.
"In real terms, the defence budget will be 11% higher in 2010/11 than it was in 1997. I don't think anybody should be in any doubt that ensuring that our armed forces are properly funded and have the best equipment is a top priority for the Prime Minister and the Government."
The Telegraph mole said he was “bloody glad” he released the information. “There’s no two ways about it. I saw what was happening. I saw that information, and you just couldn’t keep that from people,” he said.
“Now that The Daily Telegraph has put this in the public domain, it has to bring about reform.”
But the mole said he had been disappointed with the response of MPs so far.
“Do they get it? I don’t know. We had a knee-jerk reaction from all the parties initially... [But now] when you listen to MPs I think they are more concerned about themselves and keeping their jobs than getting on with reform and changing our Parliament.
I love the bit about the defence budget being 11% higher. If you take into account inflation and the fact that when we buy a new bit of kit it usually costs more to maintain it than what it replaces, not to mention that in that time we've fought TWO wars! I mean bloody hell, only 11%? How could they possibly think that represents a step forward?