Duncan Smith considers incentives to relocate jobless

The new government has announced a new plan to move unemployed people from their council houses to another part of the country with work.

From my understanding we don't have enough council housing in the first place, and what about the family's other family's, friends and more importantly the children's schooling.

Is the government promising, a new job, a place for each child at the nearest school, funding to help for travel, funding to help for child care and a new council house, I don't think so.

This feels like another short sighted attempt by the government to reduce its unemployment numbers without really helping the people that need it.

These are my questions below:

• What happens if one person has a job, but the other partner doesn't are their still expected to move.
• A lot of working people use their family and friends to look after children, under this system the government will have to pay for extra child care.
• What happens if you turn down the job (do you then loss your benefits and housing)
• Were are all these jobs, Britain no longer has mass factory's or manufacturing sites.
• Will the government also give them money to put a car on the road or pay for public transport, because you can't say well we have a job and a council house for you, but they are twenty miles apart and we are cutting all the public transport systems.
• Also this migration will be from the north to the south, since the north was so heavily hit by the Tory's back in the 80's the jobs on scale needed just don't exist.
• Are you guaranteed a school place for your children in the nearest school, which then will have a knock on effected, do we just add more children to the class or will local family then get turned down.

written by Recession2009

Please read press story below

Duncan Smith considers incentives to relocate jobless

Unemployed people living in council homes could be offered incentives to move to areas where there are jobs, the work and pensions secretary has said.


Iain Duncan Smith said millions were trapped in "ghettos of poverty" unable to move for fear of losing their homes.

Labour's Ed Balls called the idea "profoundly unfair" and likened it to Tory calls in the 1980s for people to "get on your bike" to look for work.

But Mr Duncan Smith said such comparisons were "ludicrous".

The coalition government has promised bold welfare reforms to ensure work pays better and to tackle generations of unemployment in families.

'Trapped'

Mr Duncan Smith said that the fact that there were five-and-a-half million people who were not working showed that current policies were not working.

Britain had one of the most static workforces in the western world, with people "trapped" in areas with high unemployment, he said.

Under the last government, he told Sky News, "almost ghettos of poverty" had appeared "where people are static and unable to get work because there is not work there".

The government wanted to distribute unemployment more evenly across the country and to make it as easy for people on low incomes to travel to do a job as the better-off, he added.


Mr Duncan Smith said he did not expect people to relocate to different parts of the country, nor did he want everyone to move to the south east of England.

Is Britain going to start suffering like never before.

As the new government is gearing up to release one of the toughest budgets in years, how will effect us all. We already no the Tory's have gone back on an election pledge, they said they would not increase VAT and criticised the Labour party for stating they would increase it, and what a surprise the Tory's are know going to to try and increase the VAT level up to 20% - also the government might add this onto the at present non VAT products (food & baby clothes).
The Tory's actions are very controversial, with stating that the government needs to start saving money, then in the next breath creating a so called 'free school' system to allow the middle classes to school their own children and be self governing and control how much teachers get paid (all this money comes from us the tax payers). The Tory's are unwilling to increase the basic tax rate, because this will hurt the hard core Tory supporters (middle class and rich).  

At present Britain is in danger of having a double dip recession (that's if you believe we have left the first recession), one of the major problems with heavily cutting back all in one go is that the government will not be able to restore it later.

We have all enjoyed very high levels of health care, police cover, education,  local council utilities & house prices. But unfortunately all this was heavily hit by the global economic situation, I feel leaving the EU & USA to level out will have an impact upon our own economic situation, before we start cutting away.

Further regulations are required to handled Britain's out of control banking system, the public have invested far to much money into saving our private banking system. Britain was moments away from having a major high street bank close, this would have caused more dramatic economic problems than we have know.

So if you are on a lower income, or receive any benefits then 'Bloody Tuesday' will change your life.

The Tory's seem to be protecting business and sacrificing the lower paid public, the more the spare money the general public have then the more money is pumped into the economy.

Business department 'facing £700m budget cut'

Plans to reduce public spending by £6bn include cutting the business department budget by £700m, the BBC has learned.

The government is to set out where this year's cuts will be made this week.


But the BBC's Carole Walker says £700m will come from Lib Dem Vince Cable's department, while £500m is to come from trimming or axing public bodies.

Ministers say cuts must be made quickly to show Britain is serious about cutting the deficit but Labour says this could put the recovery at risk.

Universities

Ministers have insisted that front-line services will be protected, despite the cuts that will be made.

Chancellor George Osborne said on 17 May that plans for £6bn cuts would be announced this week, while setting a date for an "emergency Budget" for 22 June.

BBC political correspondent Carole Walker said savings at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills would mean "significant cuts" to regional development agencies in the south of England.

Indicators of economic depression ending-- Google searches vs. job losses

read the full article at examiner.com

Larry Summers, Obama's top economic advisor has summed up the state of the economy today in what Forbes online is calling "promising", but somewhat "obscure" signs of recovery.

 

The Job Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan

• "Earlier this year traders were betting there was a one-in-six chance that the Dow would fall below 5,000, he said. Now they say it's one-in-a-hundred.


• The chances that corporate bonds will default has fallen by a third.


• And Google searches for 'economic depression,' which surged to quadruple their normal levels, have since returned to normal. (A growing number of economists do believe that the recession has ended or will end in coming months.)"

read the full article at  examiner.com

Indicators of economic depression ending-- Google searches vs. job losses

read the full article at examiner.com

Larry Summers, Obama's top economic advisor has summed up the state of the economy today in what Forbes online is calling "promising", but somewhat "obscure" signs of recovery.

 

The Job Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan

• "Earlier this year traders were betting there was a one-in-six chance that the Dow would fall below 5,000, he said. Now they say it's one-in-a-hundred.


• The chances that corporate bonds will default has fallen by a third.


• And Google searches for 'economic depression,' which surged to quadruple their normal levels, have since returned to normal. (A growing number of economists do believe that the recession has ended or will end in coming months.)"

read the full article at  examiner.com

We are in a recession, we have a labour goverment so that all strike

Cadbury workers 'vote on strike'

Cadbury's produces some of the UK's best known chocolate bars Cadbury workers begin voting on possible strike action on Saturday, according to the union Unite. Ballot papers consulting on action will begin to arrive at the homes of workers at the UK's best-known chocolate maker, it said. Unite claims that Cadbury is breaking a long-standing pay deal with workers at its Bourneville, Chirk, Marlbrook and Somerdale plants. About 1,300 people work across the sites, the union said. The ballot will run to 18 August, it added. sourced from THE BBC Postal staff set to strike again The union has warned a national strike could take place Industrial action at the Royal Mail is set to escalate with strike action scheduled for three days next week, the BBC has learned. The strike action on 25, 27 and 28 July comes on top of Friday's one-day walkout by 12,000 Royal Mail employees. The escalating action is in defence of workers who, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) say, are being unduly pressured by Royal Mail managers. The Royal Mail has accused the union of standing in the way of modernisation. 'Illogical cuts' Union members in London and other selected regions are to down tools in the dispute over job cuts and working conditions. This could result in no deliveries of mail on Saturday 25 July, and no work at Royal Mail's London distribution centres on 27 and 28 July, says BBC business correspondent Joe Lynam. The CWU has accused Royal Mail managers of trying to "break the union for good" and accused them of "illogical and arbitrary" job cuts. Deputy General Secretary of the CWU, Dave Ward, said his union recognised that the Royal Mail is "facing huge problems" but said that it had a very different view of what modernisation is needed. The vision that Royal Mail has put to workers involves "endless job cuts, hugely damaging cuts to the service and continuous cuts in our members' pay, pensions and conditions," he said. Paul Tolhurst at the Royal Mail countered that with "mail volumes falling and our profits under huge pressure, there is no real opportunity for us to stop [making] the changes." "Particularly," he added, "as these changes we are trying to put in were agreed with [the union] in 2007." Earlier on Friday, about 400 employees marched on Westminster to deliver letters of protest to the Business Secretary Lord Mandelson. Sell off The Royal Mail is suffering from a big drop in demand for letters as more and more people use the internet to communicate. The government announced last month that it was delaying controversial plans to sell a stake in the postal service to a private company. It maintains that the partial sell off of Royal Mail is required as part of measures to tackle the company's finances - in particular a pensions deficit said to be near £8bn. Lord Mandelson has said the company cannot survive without the sale. The Royal Mail employs more than 150,000 people in the UK, most of whom are represented by the CWU. sourced from THE BBC

We are in a recession, we have a labour goverment so that all strike

Cadbury workers 'vote on strike'

Cadbury's produces some of the UK's best known chocolate bars Cadbury workers begin voting on possible strike action on Saturday, according to the union Unite. Ballot papers consulting on action will begin to arrive at the homes of workers at the UK's best-known chocolate maker, it said. Unite claims that Cadbury is breaking a long-standing pay deal with workers at its Bourneville, Chirk, Marlbrook and Somerdale plants. About 1,300 people work across the sites, the union said. The ballot will run to 18 August, it added. sourced from THE BBC Postal staff set to strike again The union has warned a national strike could take place Industrial action at the Royal Mail is set to escalate with strike action scheduled for three days next week, the BBC has learned. The strike action on 25, 27 and 28 July comes on top of Friday's one-day walkout by 12,000 Royal Mail employees. The escalating action is in defence of workers who, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) say, are being unduly pressured by Royal Mail managers. The Royal Mail has accused the union of standing in the way of modernisation. 'Illogical cuts' Union members in London and other selected regions are to down tools in the dispute over job cuts and working conditions. This could result in no deliveries of mail on Saturday 25 July, and no work at Royal Mail's London distribution centres on 27 and 28 July, says BBC business correspondent Joe Lynam. The CWU has accused Royal Mail managers of trying to "break the union for good" and accused them of "illogical and arbitrary" job cuts. Deputy General Secretary of the CWU, Dave Ward, said his union recognised that the Royal Mail is "facing huge problems" but said that it had a very different view of what modernisation is needed. The vision that Royal Mail has put to workers involves "endless job cuts, hugely damaging cuts to the service and continuous cuts in our members' pay, pensions and conditions," he said. Paul Tolhurst at the Royal Mail countered that with "mail volumes falling and our profits under huge pressure, there is no real opportunity for us to stop [making] the changes." "Particularly," he added, "as these changes we are trying to put in were agreed with [the union] in 2007." Earlier on Friday, about 400 employees marched on Westminster to deliver letters of protest to the Business Secretary Lord Mandelson. Sell off The Royal Mail is suffering from a big drop in demand for letters as more and more people use the internet to communicate. The government announced last month that it was delaying controversial plans to sell a stake in the postal service to a private company. It maintains that the partial sell off of Royal Mail is required as part of measures to tackle the company's finances - in particular a pensions deficit said to be near £8bn. Lord Mandelson has said the company cannot survive without the sale. The Royal Mail employs more than 150,000 people in the UK, most of whom are represented by the CWU. sourced from THE BBC

the list

MPs' expenses:

Full list of MPs investigated by the Telegraph

All of the MPs named by the Telegraph's investigation into how politicians -

from Gordon Brown's Cabinet to backbenchers of all parties -

exploited the system of parliamentary allowances to subsidise their lifestyles and multiple homes.

The Houses of Parliament in Westminster:

MPs' expenses:

PA MPs' expenses investigation in depth

Gerry Adams and four other Sinn Fein MPs claimed more than £500,000 over five years even though they refuse to attend Parliament

Adam Afriyle has not made any claims on his second home allowance

Douglas Alexander spent more than £30,000 doing up his constituency home – which then suffered damage in a house fire.

Michael Ancram put the cost of having his swimming pool boiler serviced on his parliamentary allowances. He has agreed to repay the money

James Arbuthnot claimed from the public finances for cleaning his swimming pool at a country residence. He has agreed to repay the money

Hilary Armstrong was told that allowing the Labour Party to pay for and run a computer at her taxpayer-funded home could make her “politically vulnerable”

Ian Austin split a claim for stamp duty on buying his second home in London into two payments and tried to claim it back over two financial years.

John Austin claimed more than £10,000 for redecorating his London flat, which was 11 miles from his main home, before selling it for a profit.

Vera Baird claimed the cost of Christmas tree decorations

Ed Balls and wife Yvette Cooper “flipped” the designation of their second home to three different properties within two years

Norman Baker asked if he could claim for a bicycle and a computer so he could listen to music and email family and friends

Greg Barker made a £320,000 profit selling a flat the taxpayer had helped pay for. He has agreed to repay £10,000.

Margaret Beckett made a £600 claim for hanging baskets and pot plants

Hilary Benn claimed only £42,113 on his second homes allowance in four years

Richard Benyon did not claim on his second homes allowance in 2007/08

Sir Paul Beresford, who works up to three days a week as a dentist, designated his west London property, which includes his surgery, as his second home on his parliamentary allowances

Liz Blackman went on last-minute shopping sprees before the end of each financial year, in an apparent attempt to make sure she claimed as close to maximum expenses as possible

Tony Blair re-mortgaged his constituency home and claimed almost a third of the interest around the time he was buying another property in London

Hazel Blears did not pay capital gains tax on a property she sold despite having told the Commons authorities it was her second home. She has since agreed to paid the tax but denied any wrongdoing.

Crispin Blunt told to stop claiming Commons allowance on his home because his children live there

Tim Boswell claimed only £22,230 on his second homes allowance between 2004 and 2008

Ben Bradshaw used his allowance to pay the mortgage interest on a flat he owned jointly with his boyfriend

Tom Brake did not claim on his second home allowance between 2004-8

Kevin Brennan had a £450 television delivered to his family home in Cardiff even though he reclaimed the money back on his London second home allowance

James Brokenshire claimed just £368 on his second homes allowance in 2007/8 and nothing in the preceding three years

Gordon Brown's house swap let the PM claim thousands

Nick Brown claimed £18,800, without receipts, in expenses for food over four years amid total expenses of £87,000

Chris Bryant changed second home twice in two years to claim £20,000

Andy Burnham had an eight-month battle with the fees office after making a single expenses claim for more than £16,500

Paul Burstow doesn't claim for a second home although he is entitled to

Alistair Burt claimed £1,000 too much in expenses for his rent, but was allowed to keep the money.

Dawn Butler, the Labour whip, over-claimed £2,600 in rent on her constituency home.

Stephen Byers claimed more than £125,000 for repairs and maintenance at a London flat owned outright by his partner, where he lives rent-free

Vince Cable forgoes the second home allowance, but asked whether he could claim backdated payments of the London supplement instead

David Cameron limited his claims to mortgage interest payments and utility bills. He will repay the only maintenance bill he claimed - £600 for the removal of wisteria

Menzies Campbell hired a top interior designer to refurbish his small flat in central London at taxpayers’ expense. He will repay the £1,490.66 cost of an interior designer

Ronnie Campbell claimed a total of £87,729 for furniture for his London flat

Ben Chapman deliberately over-claimed for interest on the mortgage of his London house by about £15,000 with the approval of the fees office, documents seen by the Telegraph suggest. He is facing possible suspension from the PLP

David Chaytor admits claiming almost £13,000 in interest payments for a mortgage that he had already repaid. He has been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Part

 James Clappison owns 24 houses but billed more than £100,000, including thousands for gardening and redecoration

Kenneth Clarke managed to avoid paying the full rate of council tax on either of his two homes by effectively claiming that neither is his main residence. He has agreed to pay the full rate in future but defended his past behaviour.

Nick Clegg claimed the maximum allowed under his parliamentary second home allowance

David Clelland claimed for the cost of “buying out” his partner’s £45,000 stake in his London flat

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown “flipped” his second home designation from London to his Gloucestershire home, before buying a £2,750,000 house.

Harry Cohen claimed thousands of pounds for redecorating his second home before selling it and charging taxpayers £12,000 in stamp duty and fees on a new property

Michael Connarty sold some of the contents of his London home to

Jim Devine, a close colleague, before charging the taxpayer thousands of pounds for goods delivered to addresses in Scotland.

Yvette Cooper and husband Ed Balls “flipped” the designation of their second home to three different properties within two years

Stephen Crabb claimed his “main home” was a room in another MP’s flat, after buying a new house for his family at taxpayers’ expense

Tam Dalyell attempted to claim £18,000 for bookcases two months before he retired as an MP

Alistair Darling's stamp duty was paid by the public

Ed Davey did not claim on his second home allowance between 2004-8

Ian Davidson paid £5,500 to a family friend to renovate his flat and then took him shooting with members of the House of Lords

David Davis spent more than £10,000 of taxpayers’ money on home improvements in four years, including a new £5,700 portico at his home in Yorkshire.

Jim Devine bought Michael Connarty's furniture on expenses

Pat Doherty and four other Sinn Fein MPs claimed more than £500,000 over five years even though the Sinn Fein MPs refuse to attend Parliament

Alan Duncan spent thousands from his allowance on gardening, including repairs to his lawnmower. He has agreed to repay £5,000

Philip Dunne has not made any claims on his second home allowance since 2005/06

Angela Eagle claimed just £155 a month mortgage interest on her second home for a period and even underclaimed for council tax

Maria Eagle claimed thousands of pounds on refurbishing a bathroom at one of her flats just months before switching her designated second home to a property with a higher mortgage

Natascha Engel went on a shopping spree within months of being elected, spending thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ cash

Lynne Featherstone did not claim on her second homes allowance in between 2004 and 2008

Frank Field claimed just £44,338 on his second home allowance between 2004-8

Caroline Flint claimed £14,000 for fees for new flat

Barbara Follett used £25,000 of taxpayers' money to pay for private security patrols at her home

Andrew George used parliamentary expenses for a London flat used by his student daughter. He also claimed hundreds of pounds for hotel stays with his wife. He has said he will repay £20 for a hotel breakfast

Michelle Gildernew and four other Sinn Fein MPs claimed more than £500,000 over five years even though the Sinn Fein MPs refuse to attend Parliament

Cheryl Gillan bought dog food using her allowance but agreed to pay it back after being contacted by the Telegraph

Julia Goldsworthy spent thousands of pounds on expensive furniture just days before the deadline for using up parliamentary allowances. She has promised to pay back £1,005 for a leather rocking chair

Helen Goodman claimed for a week's stay in a cottage in her constituency over a bank holiday

Michael Gove spent thousands on his London home before "flipping" his Commons allowance to another address. He has agreed to repay £7,000

Chris Grayling claimed for a London flat even though his constituency home is only 17 miles from the House of Commons. He has agreed to stop doing so

James Gray successfully claimed £2,000 for the future redecoration of his “second home” on the day that he moved out.

John Gummer's gardening, including the removal of moles from his lawn, cost the taxpayer £9,000

Mike Hall claimed thousands of pounds in expenses for the cost of cleaners, cleaning products and laundry bills for his London home

Fabian Hamilton declared his mother’s London house as his main residence while over-charging the taxpayer by thousands of pounds for a mortgage on his family home in Leeds

Nick Harvey had to be reminded twice by parliamentary officials to submit receipts with his expenses claims

Alan Haselhurst charged the taxpayer almost £12,000 for gardening bills at his farmhouse in Essex, his expenses claims show.

David Heathcoat-Amory’s gardener used hundreds of sacks of horse manure and the MP submitted the receipts to Parliament

Nick Herbert charged taxpayers more than £10,000 for stamp duty and fees when he and his partner bought a home together in his constituency

Douglas Hogg included with his expenses claims the cost of having the moat cleared, piano tuned and stable lights fixed at his country manor house. He has agreed to repay £2,200 for the moat clearing

Geoff Hoon established a property empire worth £1.7 million after claiming taxpayer-funded expenses for at least two properties. He also did not pay capital gains tax on the sale of his London home in 2006.

Phil Hope spent more than £10,000 in one year refurbishing a small London flat. He has promised to pay back £41,000 to the taxpayer

Kelvin Hopkins claims just a fraction of the available second-home allowance by taking the train to Westminster from his home town

David Howarth has not made any claims on his second home allowance since 2004/05

Chris Huhne regularly submits receipts for bus tickets and groceries including pints of milk, fluffy dusters, lavatory rolls and chocolate HobNobs. He has promised to pay back £119 for a trouser press

Glenda Jackson did not claim on her second homes allowance between 2004 and 2008

Stewart Jackson claimed more than £66,000 for his family home, including hundreds of pounds on refurbishing his swimming pool. He has agreed to repay the costs associated with his pool

Brian Jenkins claims little or no mortgage interest for his property in London

Alan Johnson claimed just £43,596 for his second home in 2004-8

Diana Johnson claimed nearly £1,000 to cover the cost of hiring an architect for a decorating project at her second home

Helen Jones claimed £87,647 in second home allowances for her London flat between 2004 and 2008

Gerald Kaufman charged the taxpayer £1,851 for a rug he imported from a New York antiques centre and tried to claim £8,865 for a television

Alan and Ann Keen claimed almost £40,000 a year on a central London flat although their family home was less than 10 miles away

Ruth Kelly has claimed more than £31,000 to redecorate and furnish her designated second home in the past five years. She claimed thousands of pounds in expenses to pay for damage caused to her home by flooding, although at the time she had a building insurance policy.

Fraser Kemp made repeat purchases of household items over the space of several weeks.

Julie Kirkbride's husband Andrew Mackay resigned as David Cameron's aide after it emerged that the two MPs were making claims that meant they effectively had no main home but two second homes, both funded with public money.

Greg Knight, an MP with a collection of classic cars, claimed £2,600 in expenses for repair work on the driveway at his designated second home

Susan Kramer did not claim on her second home allowance between 2004-8

Andrew Lansley spent more than £4,000 of taxpayers’ money renovating his country home months before he sold it. He will repay £2,600 of decorating fees

Oliver Letwin repaired a pipe beneath his tennis court using taxpayers' money. He has agreed to repay the money

Julian Lewis attempted to claim £6,000 in expenses for a wooden floor at his second home

Ian Lucas made £45,000 profit when he sold a London flat on which he had claimed second home expenses

Lord Mandelson faces questions over the timing of his house claim which came after he had announced he would step down

Andrew Mackay resigned as David Cameron's aide after it emerged that he and his wife Julie Kirkbride were making claims that meant they effectively had no main home but two second homes, both funded with public money.

David Maclean spent thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money renovating a farmhouse before selling it for £750,000.

Angus MacNeil, the MP whose police complaint triggered the cash-for-peerages inquiry, tried to charge the taxpayer for his drinks bills, a chocolate bar and hundreds of pounds of "petty cash".

Fiona MacTaggart claimed just £3,392 on her second homes allowance in 2007/08

Shahid Malik claimed £66,000 on his second property while paying less than £100 a week for his main house. He has resigned as justice minister pending an investigation

Judy Mallaber rarely claims for food

John Maples declared a private members’ club as his main home to the parliamentary authorities. He claimed the maximum second home allowance on his family house while apparently not having a “main” property to maintain

Bob Marshall-Andrews claimed £118,000 for expenses at his second home, including stereo equipment, extensive redecoration and a pair of Kenyan carpets.

Rob Marris claimed just £11,973 on his second homes allowance in 2007/08

Gordon Marsdon claimed just £9,739 on his second homes allowance in 2007/08

Michael Martin used taxpayers' money to pay for chauffeur-driven cars to his local job centre and Celtic's football ground

Francis Maude claimed almost £35,000 in two years for mortgage interest payments on a London flat when he owned a house just a few hundred yards away. He has agreed to stop claiming for a second home

Theresa May claimed just £4,288 on her second home allowance in 2007/08

Tommy McAvoy claimed £86,565 in second home allowances between 2004 and 2008 for his flat in Westminster

Steve McCabe over-claimed on his mortgage by £4,059 during the course of two years

Sarah McCarthy-Fry tried to claim a pair of £100 hair straighteners on her parliamentary expenses.

Ian McCartney spent £16,000 furnishing and decorating his designated second home but paid the money back two years later

Martin McGuinness and four other Sinn Fein MPs claimed more than £500,000 over five years even though the Sinn Fein MPs refuse to attend Parliament

Patrick McLoughlin, the senior MP asked by David Cameron to scrutinise Tory expenses, claimed £3,000 for new windows at his second home.

Michael Meacher claimed just £32,825 on his second homes allowance between 2004-8

David Miliband's spending was queried by his gardener

Ed Miliband claimed just £7,670 on his second home allowance in 2007/08 Ann Milton did not make any claims on her second home allowance in 2007/08

Austin Mitchell claimed for security shutters, ginger crinkle biscuits and the cost of reupholstering his sofa. He has offered to donate his old sofa coverings to make amends

Madeleine Moon spent thousands in furniture shops near her Welsh constituency house and claimed the money back on her London designated second home allowance

Margaret Moran switched the address of her second home, allowing her to claim £22,500 to fix a dry rot problem. She has agreed to repay the money while insisting she acted within the rules. She could face an investigation for allegedly using Commons stationery to keep neighbours away from her fourth property in Spain. She also billed the taxpayer for nearly £4,000 in legal fees in settling a dispute with one of her staff and faces a challenge at the next general election from Esther Rantzen .

Elliot Morley claimed parliamentary expenses of more than £16,000 for a mortgage which had already been paid off

George Mudie claimed £62,000 in expenses for his London flat in four years, while having a mortgage of just £26,000.

Chris Mullin, a former minister, watches a 30-year-old black and white television at his second home and claims the £45 cost of the licence on his expenses

Conor Murphy and four other Sinn Fein MPs claimed more than £500,000 over five years even though the

Sinn Fein MPs refuse to attend Parliament

Paul Murphy had a new plumbing system installed at taxpayers’ expense because the water in the old one was “too hot”

Lembit Opik had to pay £2,499 for a 42-inch plasma television after purchasing it while Parliament was dissolved

George Osborne was rebuked by the Commons authorities for using public money to fund his "political" website. He also claimed money for a chauffeur-driven car which he has agreed to repay

John Prescott claimed for two lavatory seats in two years James Purnell avoided paying capital gains tax on the sale of his London flat after claiming expenses for accountancy advice

John Redwood has admitted being paid twice after submitting an identical £3,000 decorating bill on his second home allowance

Alan Reid claimed more than £1,500 on his parliamentary expenses for staying in hotels and bed-and-breakfasts near his home

John Reid used his allowance to pay for slotted spoons, an ironing board and a glittery loo seat

Angus Robertson successfully appealed to the fees office when they turned down his claim for a £400 home cinema system

Geoffrey Robinson has not made any claims on his second home allowance since 2004/05

Peter and Iris Robinson both claimed expenses based on the same £1,223 bill when they submitted their parliamentary claims in 2007

David Ruffley claimed for new furniture and fittings after “flipping” his second home from London to a new flat in his constituency

Joan Ryan spent thousands of pounds on repairs and decorations at her constituency home before switching her designated second home to a London property

Alex Salmond claimed £400 per month for food when the Commons was not even sitting

Martin Salter has not made any claims on his second home allowance since 2004/05

Grant Shapps claimed just £7,269 on his second homes allowance in 2007/08

Jim Sheridan used his allowances to reclaim the cost of a 42-inch plasma TV, leather bed and hundreds of pounds worth of furniture.

Clare Short claimed thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money to which she was not entitled within months of standing down as a Cabinet minister

Michael Spicer claimed for work on his helipad and received thousands of pounds for gardening bills.

Anthony Steen claimed £87,000 on country mansion with 500 trees. He has announced he will step down at the next election

Jack Straw only paid half the amount of council tax that he claimed on his parliamentary allowances over four years but later rectified the over-claim

Jo Swinson included receipts for eyeliner, a “tooth flosser” and 29p dusters with her parliamentary expenses claims

Robert Syms claimed more than £2,000 worth of furniture on expenses for his designated second home in London, but had it all delivered to his parents’ address in

Wiltshire Sarah Teather did not claim on her second homes allowance between 2004 and 2008

Don Touhig spent thousands of pounds redecorating his constituency home before “flipping” his allowance to a flat in London

Kitty Ussher asked the Commons authorities to fund extensive refurbishment of her Victorian family home

Ed Vaizey had £2,000 worth of furniture delivered to his London home when he was claiming his Commons allowance on a second home in Oxfordshire.

Keith Vaz claimed £75,500 for a second flat near Parliament even though he already lived just 12 miles from Westminster

Sir Peter Viggers included with his expense claims the £1,645 cost of a floating duck house in the garden pond at his Hampshire home. He has announced he will step down at the next election

Theresa Villiers claimed almost £16,000 in stamp duty and professional fees on expenses when she bought a London flat, even though she already had a house in the capital. She has agreed to stop claiming the second home allowance

Claire Ward, the MP responsible for keeping the Queen informed about Parliament, submitted monthly expense claims for hundreds of pounds of "petty cash" while claiming maximum allowances

Tom Watson and Iain Wright spent £100,000 of taxpayers' money on the London flat they once shared

Steve Webb sold his London flat and bought another nearby, while the taxpayer picked up an £8,400 bill for stamp duty

Shaun Woodward received £100,000 to help pay mortgage

Bill Wiggin claimed interest payments for a property which had no mortgage

David Willetts, the Conservatives' choice for skills minister, needed help changing light bulbs. He has agreed to repay the bill

Alan Williams claimed just £5,221 on his second homes allowance in 2007/08

Phil Willis spent thousands of pounds of public funds on mortgage interest payments, redecoration and furnishings for a flat where his daughter now lives.

David Winnick claimed just £36,354 on his second homes allowance between 2004-8

Sir Nicholas Winterton and his wife Ann claimed more than £80,000 for a London flat owned by a trust controlled by their children

Ann Widdecombe claimed just £858 on her second home allowance in 2007/08

Rob Wilson did not claim on his second homes allowance between 2004 and 2008

Phil Woolas submitted receipts including comics, nappies and women's clothing as part of his claims for food Iain Wright and

Tom Watson spent £100,000 of taxpayers' money on the London flat they once shared

Derek Wyatt billed 75p for scotch eggs

Richard Younger-Ross spent £1,235 on four mirrors and bought 'Don Juan’ bookcase

sourced from The Telegraph

the list

MPs' expenses:

Full list of MPs investigated by the Telegraph

All of the MPs named by the Telegraph's investigation into how politicians -

from Gordon Brown's Cabinet to backbenchers of all parties -

exploited the system of parliamentary allowances to subsidise their lifestyles and multiple homes.

The Houses of Parliament in Westminster:

MPs' expenses:

PA MPs' expenses investigation in depth

Gerry Adams and four other Sinn Fein MPs claimed more than £500,000 over five years even though they refuse to attend Parliament

Adam Afriyle has not made any claims on his second home allowance

Douglas Alexander spent more than £30,000 doing up his constituency home – which then suffered damage in a house fire.

Michael Ancram put the cost of having his swimming pool boiler serviced on his parliamentary allowances. He has agreed to repay the money

James Arbuthnot claimed from the public finances for cleaning his swimming pool at a country residence. He has agreed to repay the money

Hilary Armstrong was told that allowing the Labour Party to pay for and run a computer at her taxpayer-funded home could make her “politically vulnerable”

Ian Austin split a claim for stamp duty on buying his second home in London into two payments and tried to claim it back over two financial years.

John Austin claimed more than £10,000 for redecorating his London flat, which was 11 miles from his main home, before selling it for a profit.

Vera Baird claimed the cost of Christmas tree decorations

Ed Balls and wife Yvette Cooper “flipped” the designation of their second home to three different properties within two years

Norman Baker asked if he could claim for a bicycle and a computer so he could listen to music and email family and friends

Greg Barker made a £320,000 profit selling a flat the taxpayer had helped pay for. He has agreed to repay £10,000.

Margaret Beckett made a £600 claim for hanging baskets and pot plants

Hilary Benn claimed only £42,113 on his second homes allowance in four years

Richard Benyon did not claim on his second homes allowance in 2007/08

Sir Paul Beresford, who works up to three days a week as a dentist, designated his west London property, which includes his surgery, as his second home on his parliamentary allowances

Liz Blackman went on last-minute shopping sprees before the end of each financial year, in an apparent attempt to make sure she claimed as close to maximum expenses as possible

Tony Blair re-mortgaged his constituency home and claimed almost a third of the interest around the time he was buying another property in London

Hazel Blears did not pay capital gains tax on a property she sold despite having told the Commons authorities it was her second home. She has since agreed to paid the tax but denied any wrongdoing.

Crispin Blunt told to stop claiming Commons allowance on his home because his children live there

Tim Boswell claimed only £22,230 on his second homes allowance between 2004 and 2008

Ben Bradshaw used his allowance to pay the mortgage interest on a flat he owned jointly with his boyfriend

Tom Brake did not claim on his second home allowance between 2004-8

Kevin Brennan had a £450 television delivered to his family home in Cardiff even though he reclaimed the money back on his London second home allowance

James Brokenshire claimed just £368 on his second homes allowance in 2007/8 and nothing in the preceding three years

Gordon Brown's house swap let the PM claim thousands

Nick Brown claimed £18,800, without receipts, in expenses for food over four years amid total expenses of £87,000

Chris Bryant changed second home twice in two years to claim £20,000

Andy Burnham had an eight-month battle with the fees office after making a single expenses claim for more than £16,500

Paul Burstow doesn't claim for a second home although he is entitled to

Alistair Burt claimed £1,000 too much in expenses for his rent, but was allowed to keep the money.

Dawn Butler, the Labour whip, over-claimed £2,600 in rent on her constituency home.

Stephen Byers claimed more than £125,000 for repairs and maintenance at a London flat owned outright by his partner, where he lives rent-free

Vince Cable forgoes the second home allowance, but asked whether he could claim backdated payments of the London supplement instead

David Cameron limited his claims to mortgage interest payments and utility bills. He will repay the only maintenance bill he claimed - £600 for the removal of wisteria

Menzies Campbell hired a top interior designer to refurbish his small flat in central London at taxpayers’ expense. He will repay the £1,490.66 cost of an interior designer

Ronnie Campbell claimed a total of £87,729 for furniture for his London flat

Ben Chapman deliberately over-claimed for interest on the mortgage of his London house by about £15,000 with the approval of the fees office, documents seen by the Telegraph suggest. He is facing possible suspension from the PLP

David Chaytor admits claiming almost £13,000 in interest payments for a mortgage that he had already repaid. He has been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Part

 James Clappison owns 24 houses but billed more than £100,000, including thousands for gardening and redecoration

Kenneth Clarke managed to avoid paying the full rate of council tax on either of his two homes by effectively claiming that neither is his main residence. He has agreed to pay the full rate in future but defended his past behaviour.

Nick Clegg claimed the maximum allowed under his parliamentary second home allowance

David Clelland claimed for the cost of “buying out” his partner’s £45,000 stake in his London flat

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown “flipped” his second home designation from London to his Gloucestershire home, before buying a £2,750,000 house.

Harry Cohen claimed thousands of pounds for redecorating his second home before selling it and charging taxpayers £12,000 in stamp duty and fees on a new property

Michael Connarty sold some of the contents of his London home to

Jim Devine, a close colleague, before charging the taxpayer thousands of pounds for goods delivered to addresses in Scotland.

Yvette Cooper and husband Ed Balls “flipped” the designation of their second home to three different properties within two years

Stephen Crabb claimed his “main home” was a room in another MP’s flat, after buying a new house for his family at taxpayers’ expense

Tam Dalyell attempted to claim £18,000 for bookcases two months before he retired as an MP

Alistair Darling's stamp duty was paid by the public

Ed Davey did not claim on his second home allowance between 2004-8

Ian Davidson paid £5,500 to a family friend to renovate his flat and then took him shooting with members of the House of Lords

David Davis spent more than £10,000 of taxpayers’ money on home improvements in four years, including a new £5,700 portico at his home in Yorkshire.

Jim Devine bought Michael Connarty's furniture on expenses

Pat Doherty and four other Sinn Fein MPs claimed more than £500,000 over five years even though the Sinn Fein MPs refuse to attend Parliament

Alan Duncan spent thousands from his allowance on gardening, including repairs to his lawnmower. He has agreed to repay £5,000

Philip Dunne has not made any claims on his second home allowance since 2005/06

Angela Eagle claimed just £155 a month mortgage interest on her second home for a period and even underclaimed for council tax

Maria Eagle claimed thousands of pounds on refurbishing a bathroom at one of her flats just months before switching her designated second home to a property with a higher mortgage

Natascha Engel went on a shopping spree within months of being elected, spending thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ cash

Lynne Featherstone did not claim on her second homes allowance in between 2004 and 2008

Frank Field claimed just £44,338 on his second home allowance between 2004-8

Caroline Flint claimed £14,000 for fees for new flat

Barbara Follett used £25,000 of taxpayers' money to pay for private security patrols at her home

Andrew George used parliamentary expenses for a London flat used by his student daughter. He also claimed hundreds of pounds for hotel stays with his wife. He has said he will repay £20 for a hotel breakfast

Michelle Gildernew and four other Sinn Fein MPs claimed more than £500,000 over five years even though the Sinn Fein MPs refuse to attend Parliament

Cheryl Gillan bought dog food using her allowance but agreed to pay it back after being contacted by the Telegraph

Julia Goldsworthy spent thousands of pounds on expensive furniture just days before the deadline for using up parliamentary allowances. She has promised to pay back £1,005 for a leather rocking chair

Helen Goodman claimed for a week's stay in a cottage in her constituency over a bank holiday

Michael Gove spent thousands on his London home before "flipping" his Commons allowance to another address. He has agreed to repay £7,000

Chris Grayling claimed for a London flat even though his constituency home is only 17 miles from the House of Commons. He has agreed to stop doing so

James Gray successfully claimed £2,000 for the future redecoration of his “second home” on the day that he moved out.

John Gummer's gardening, including the removal of moles from his lawn, cost the taxpayer £9,000

Mike Hall claimed thousands of pounds in expenses for the cost of cleaners, cleaning products and laundry bills for his London home

Fabian Hamilton declared his mother’s London house as his main residence while over-charging the taxpayer by thousands of pounds for a mortgage on his family home in Leeds

Nick Harvey had to be reminded twice by parliamentary officials to submit receipts with his expenses claims

Alan Haselhurst charged the taxpayer almost £12,000 for gardening bills at his farmhouse in Essex, his expenses claims show.

David Heathcoat-Amory’s gardener used hundreds of sacks of horse manure and the MP submitted the receipts to Parliament

Nick Herbert charged taxpayers more than £10,000 for stamp duty and fees when he and his partner bought a home together in his constituency

Douglas Hogg included with his expenses claims the cost of having the moat cleared, piano tuned and stable lights fixed at his country manor house. He has agreed to repay £2,200 for the moat clearing

Geoff Hoon established a property empire worth £1.7 million after claiming taxpayer-funded expenses for at least two properties. He also did not pay capital gains tax on the sale of his London home in 2006.

Phil Hope spent more than £10,000 in one year refurbishing a small London flat. He has promised to pay back £41,000 to the taxpayer

Kelvin Hopkins claims just a fraction of the available second-home allowance by taking the train to Westminster from his home town

David Howarth has not made any claims on his second home allowance since 2004/05

Chris Huhne regularly submits receipts for bus tickets and groceries including pints of milk, fluffy dusters, lavatory rolls and chocolate HobNobs. He has promised to pay back £119 for a trouser press

Glenda Jackson did not claim on her second homes allowance between 2004 and 2008

Stewart Jackson claimed more than £66,000 for his family home, including hundreds of pounds on refurbishing his swimming pool. He has agreed to repay the costs associated with his pool

Brian Jenkins claims little or no mortgage interest for his property in London

Alan Johnson claimed just £43,596 for his second home in 2004-8

Diana Johnson claimed nearly £1,000 to cover the cost of hiring an architect for a decorating project at her second home

Helen Jones claimed £87,647 in second home allowances for her London flat between 2004 and 2008

Gerald Kaufman charged the taxpayer £1,851 for a rug he imported from a New York antiques centre and tried to claim £8,865 for a television

Alan and Ann Keen claimed almost £40,000 a year on a central London flat although their family home was less than 10 miles away

Ruth Kelly has claimed more than £31,000 to redecorate and furnish her designated second home in the past five years. She claimed thousands of pounds in expenses to pay for damage caused to her home by flooding, although at the time she had a building insurance policy.

Fraser Kemp made repeat purchases of household items over the space of several weeks.

Julie Kirkbride's husband Andrew Mackay resigned as David Cameron's aide after it emerged that the two MPs were making claims that meant they effectively had no main home but two second homes, both funded with public money.

Greg Knight, an MP with a collection of classic cars, claimed £2,600 in expenses for repair work on the driveway at his designated second home

Susan Kramer did not claim on her second home allowance between 2004-8

Andrew Lansley spent more than £4,000 of taxpayers’ money renovating his country home months before he sold it. He will repay £2,600 of decorating fees

Oliver Letwin repaired a pipe beneath his tennis court using taxpayers' money. He has agreed to repay the money

Julian Lewis attempted to claim £6,000 in expenses for a wooden floor at his second home

Ian Lucas made £45,000 profit when he sold a London flat on which he had claimed second home expenses

Lord Mandelson faces questions over the timing of his house claim which came after he had announced he would step down

Andrew Mackay resigned as David Cameron's aide after it emerged that he and his wife Julie Kirkbride were making claims that meant they effectively had no main home but two second homes, both funded with public money.

David Maclean spent thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money renovating a farmhouse before selling it for £750,000.

Angus MacNeil, the MP whose police complaint triggered the cash-for-peerages inquiry, tried to charge the taxpayer for his drinks bills, a chocolate bar and hundreds of pounds of "petty cash".

Fiona MacTaggart claimed just £3,392 on her second homes allowance in 2007/08

Shahid Malik claimed £66,000 on his second property while paying less than £100 a week for his main house. He has resigned as justice minister pending an investigation

Judy Mallaber rarely claims for food

John Maples declared a private members’ club as his main home to the parliamentary authorities. He claimed the maximum second home allowance on his family house while apparently not having a “main” property to maintain

Bob Marshall-Andrews claimed £118,000 for expenses at his second home, including stereo equipment, extensive redecoration and a pair of Kenyan carpets.

Rob Marris claimed just £11,973 on his second homes allowance in 2007/08

Gordon Marsdon claimed just £9,739 on his second homes allowance in 2007/08

Michael Martin used taxpayers' money to pay for chauffeur-driven cars to his local job centre and Celtic's football ground

Francis Maude claimed almost £35,000 in two years for mortgage interest payments on a London flat when he owned a house just a few hundred yards away. He has agreed to stop claiming for a second home

Theresa May claimed just £4,288 on her second home allowance in 2007/08

Tommy McAvoy claimed £86,565 in second home allowances between 2004 and 2008 for his flat in Westminster

Steve McCabe over-claimed on his mortgage by £4,059 during the course of two years

Sarah McCarthy-Fry tried to claim a pair of £100 hair straighteners on her parliamentary expenses.

Ian McCartney spent £16,000 furnishing and decorating his designated second home but paid the money back two years later

Martin McGuinness and four other Sinn Fein MPs claimed more than £500,000 over five years even though the Sinn Fein MPs refuse to attend Parliament

Patrick McLoughlin, the senior MP asked by David Cameron to scrutinise Tory expenses, claimed £3,000 for new windows at his second home.

Michael Meacher claimed just £32,825 on his second homes allowance between 2004-8

David Miliband's spending was queried by his gardener

Ed Miliband claimed just £7,670 on his second home allowance in 2007/08 Ann Milton did not make any claims on her second home allowance in 2007/08

Austin Mitchell claimed for security shutters, ginger crinkle biscuits and the cost of reupholstering his sofa. He has offered to donate his old sofa coverings to make amends

Madeleine Moon spent thousands in furniture shops near her Welsh constituency house and claimed the money back on her London designated second home allowance

Margaret Moran switched the address of her second home, allowing her to claim £22,500 to fix a dry rot problem. She has agreed to repay the money while insisting she acted within the rules. She could face an investigation for allegedly using Commons stationery to keep neighbours away from her fourth property in Spain. She also billed the taxpayer for nearly £4,000 in legal fees in settling a dispute with one of her staff and faces a challenge at the next general election from Esther Rantzen .

Elliot Morley claimed parliamentary expenses of more than £16,000 for a mortgage which had already been paid off

George Mudie claimed £62,000 in expenses for his London flat in four years, while having a mortgage of just £26,000.

Chris Mullin, a former minister, watches a 30-year-old black and white television at his second home and claims the £45 cost of the licence on his expenses

Conor Murphy and four other Sinn Fein MPs claimed more than £500,000 over five years even though the

Sinn Fein MPs refuse to attend Parliament

Paul Murphy had a new plumbing system installed at taxpayers’ expense because the water in the old one was “too hot”

Lembit Opik had to pay £2,499 for a 42-inch plasma television after purchasing it while Parliament was dissolved

George Osborne was rebuked by the Commons authorities for using public money to fund his "political" website. He also claimed money for a chauffeur-driven car which he has agreed to repay

John Prescott claimed for two lavatory seats in two years James Purnell avoided paying capital gains tax on the sale of his London flat after claiming expenses for accountancy advice

John Redwood has admitted being paid twice after submitting an identical £3,000 decorating bill on his second home allowance

Alan Reid claimed more than £1,500 on his parliamentary expenses for staying in hotels and bed-and-breakfasts near his home

John Reid used his allowance to pay for slotted spoons, an ironing board and a glittery loo seat

Angus Robertson successfully appealed to the fees office when they turned down his claim for a £400 home cinema system

Geoffrey Robinson has not made any claims on his second home allowance since 2004/05

Peter and Iris Robinson both claimed expenses based on the same £1,223 bill when they submitted their parliamentary claims in 2007

David Ruffley claimed for new furniture and fittings after “flipping” his second home from London to a new flat in his constituency

Joan Ryan spent thousands of pounds on repairs and decorations at her constituency home before switching her designated second home to a London property

Alex Salmond claimed £400 per month for food when the Commons was not even sitting

Martin Salter has not made any claims on his second home allowance since 2004/05

Grant Shapps claimed just £7,269 on his second homes allowance in 2007/08

Jim Sheridan used his allowances to reclaim the cost of a 42-inch plasma TV, leather bed and hundreds of pounds worth of furniture.

Clare Short claimed thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money to which she was not entitled within months of standing down as a Cabinet minister

Michael Spicer claimed for work on his helipad and received thousands of pounds for gardening bills.

Anthony Steen claimed £87,000 on country mansion with 500 trees. He has announced he will step down at the next election

Jack Straw only paid half the amount of council tax that he claimed on his parliamentary allowances over four years but later rectified the over-claim

Jo Swinson included receipts for eyeliner, a “tooth flosser” and 29p dusters with her parliamentary expenses claims

Robert Syms claimed more than £2,000 worth of furniture on expenses for his designated second home in London, but had it all delivered to his parents’ address in

Wiltshire Sarah Teather did not claim on her second homes allowance between 2004 and 2008

Don Touhig spent thousands of pounds redecorating his constituency home before “flipping” his allowance to a flat in London

Kitty Ussher asked the Commons authorities to fund extensive refurbishment of her Victorian family home

Ed Vaizey had £2,000 worth of furniture delivered to his London home when he was claiming his Commons allowance on a second home in Oxfordshire.

Keith Vaz claimed £75,500 for a second flat near Parliament even though he already lived just 12 miles from Westminster

Sir Peter Viggers included with his expense claims the £1,645 cost of a floating duck house in the garden pond at his Hampshire home. He has announced he will step down at the next election

Theresa Villiers claimed almost £16,000 in stamp duty and professional fees on expenses when she bought a London flat, even though she already had a house in the capital. She has agreed to stop claiming the second home allowance

Claire Ward, the MP responsible for keeping the Queen informed about Parliament, submitted monthly expense claims for hundreds of pounds of "petty cash" while claiming maximum allowances

Tom Watson and Iain Wright spent £100,000 of taxpayers' money on the London flat they once shared

Steve Webb sold his London flat and bought another nearby, while the taxpayer picked up an £8,400 bill for stamp duty

Shaun Woodward received £100,000 to help pay mortgage

Bill Wiggin claimed interest payments for a property which had no mortgage

David Willetts, the Conservatives' choice for skills minister, needed help changing light bulbs. He has agreed to repay the bill

Alan Williams claimed just £5,221 on his second homes allowance in 2007/08

Phil Willis spent thousands of pounds of public funds on mortgage interest payments, redecoration and furnishings for a flat where his daughter now lives.

David Winnick claimed just £36,354 on his second homes allowance between 2004-8

Sir Nicholas Winterton and his wife Ann claimed more than £80,000 for a London flat owned by a trust controlled by their children

Ann Widdecombe claimed just £858 on her second home allowance in 2007/08

Rob Wilson did not claim on his second homes allowance between 2004 and 2008

Phil Woolas submitted receipts including comics, nappies and women's clothing as part of his claims for food Iain Wright and

Tom Watson spent £100,000 of taxpayers' money on the London flat they once shared

Derek Wyatt billed 75p for scotch eggs

Richard Younger-Ross spent £1,235 on four mirrors and bought 'Don Juan’ bookcase

sourced from The Telegraph

A poor advert for advertising standards?

Link to BBC article

A poster showing a nervous man alongside the slogan "Take Courage my friend" has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for suggesting the beer could boost confidence.

Newsnight's culture correspondent Stephen Smith reports.

A poor advert for advertising standards?

Link to BBC article

A poster showing a nervous man alongside the slogan "Take Courage my friend" has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for suggesting the beer could boost confidence.

Newsnight's culture correspondent Stephen Smith reports.

Brown under siege as Congress caps bankers' bonuses

A dramatic vote on Capitol Hill is set to bring major change to Wall Street's risk culture as cash incentives for executives, brokers and traders are limited to a third of their salaries. Gaby Hinsliff, Zoe Wood and Paul Harris report on the implications for Britain.

Gordon Brown was under rising pressure to clamp down on the City's bonus culture last night after the US Congress agreed to drastic curbs capping senior bankers' bonuses at a third of their salary.

The measures, which are expected to be signed into law by President Barack Obama (Barack Obama page on the Guardin website) this week, would apply to dozens of staff at American banks bailed out by the taxpayer and could cost Wall Street's wealthiest millions. Cash bonuses would be banned in favour of long-term share options, with the restrictions extending beyond a handful of top executives to senior brokers and traders.

read full article from The Gardian

Brown under siege as Congress caps bankers' bonuses

A dramatic vote on Capitol Hill is set to bring major change to Wall Street's risk culture as cash incentives for executives, brokers and traders are limited to a third of their salaries. Gaby Hinsliff, Zoe Wood and Paul Harris report on the implications for Britain.

Gordon Brown was under rising pressure to clamp down on the City's bonus culture last night after the US Congress agreed to drastic curbs capping senior bankers' bonuses at a third of their salary.

The measures, which are expected to be signed into law by President Barack Obama (Barack Obama page on the Guardin website) this week, would apply to dozens of staff at American banks bailed out by the taxpayer and could cost Wall Street's wealthiest millions. Cash bonuses would be banned in favour of long-term share options, with the restrictions extending beyond a handful of top executives to senior brokers and traders.

read full article from The Gardian

Banks to get bonuses

bankAs the government / general public have bailed out the banks. It is proposed that the banks will pay bonuses. So not only have the banks been run badly, they have gambled with our money (and lost) and had massive financial support from you and me, know their want to give bonuses out. I think this is unacceptable, if a bank gives out any bonuses than the government should with hold any further funding for any bank.

But if its the lower payed bank workers that get the bonuses than good , but when the bonuses go higher up in the banking system. Bonuses should only be awarded for hard and good work, so why are bonuses proposed to people that have directly gambled with our money, been bailed out by the government. 

Maybe now is the time to only have one or two banks, one privaltyly owned and other goverment owned. I now where I'd put my money. 

 

 

Lloyds defends staff bonus plan

Lloyds insists it is right to offer financial

rewards to staff who hit targets

Lloyds insists it is right to offer financial rewards to staff who hit targets Lloyds Banking Group has defended plans to reward retail and commercial staff with bonuses, worth a reported £120m.

Its subsidiary HBOS - bought with government backing last year - is to record a loss of nearly £11bn, raising concerns it may need more state help.

But Lloyds, already 43% taxpayer-owned, said its employees deserved "financial recognition" for hitting targets.

Shadow business secretary Ken Clarke has accused ministers of overseeing a "shotgun marriage" of the two banks.

In most cases staff bonuses would amount to £1,000 or less for employees earning about £17,000 per year, the bank said. The report comes amid speculation that the government - which has already poured £17bn into the group - may be forced to take a majority stake in Lloyds, or even nationalise it.

read full article click here

Banks to get bonuses

bankAs the government / general public have bailed out the banks. It is proposed that the banks will pay bonuses. So not only have the banks been run badly, they have gambled with our money (and lost) and had massive financial support from you and me, know their want to give bonuses out. I think this is unacceptable, if a bank gives out any bonuses than the government should with hold any further funding for any bank.

But if its the lower payed bank workers that get the bonuses than good , but when the bonuses go higher up in the banking system. Bonuses should only be awarded for hard and good work, so why are bonuses proposed to people that have directly gambled with our money, been bailed out by the government. 

Maybe now is the time to only have one or two banks, one privaltyly owned and other goverment owned. I now where I'd put my money. 

 

 

Lloyds defends staff bonus plan

Lloyds insists it is right to offer financial

rewards to staff who hit targets

Lloyds insists it is right to offer financial rewards to staff who hit targets Lloyds Banking Group has defended plans to reward retail and commercial staff with bonuses, worth a reported £120m.

Its subsidiary HBOS - bought with government backing last year - is to record a loss of nearly £11bn, raising concerns it may need more state help.

But Lloyds, already 43% taxpayer-owned, said its employees deserved "financial recognition" for hitting targets.

Shadow business secretary Ken Clarke has accused ministers of overseeing a "shotgun marriage" of the two banks.

In most cases staff bonuses would amount to £1,000 or less for employees earning about £17,000 per year, the bank said. The report comes amid speculation that the government - which has already poured £17bn into the group - may be forced to take a majority stake in Lloyds, or even nationalise it.

read full article click here

British jobs for British workers

Deal hope in foreign workers row

Workers say the action is not racist, but about discrimination against Britons

A possible deal to end the row over the use of foreign labour at Lincolnshire's Lindsey Oil Refinery will be put to local union leaders and workers later.

The proposal emerged after talks chaired by Acas.

A GMB union source told the BBC the deal could see half of the disputed 200 jobs offered to British workers, but the Unite leader has denied this.

Hope that new 'half-and-half' deal in foreign workers row could end wildcat strikes

A proposed deal that could end the bitter row over foreign workers at an oil refinery will be put to unions today.

Marathon talks aimed at ending a series of wildcat strikes at Lindsey plant in Lincolnshire ended last night with the outline of a possible deal.

Union sources said it involved offering half the jobs of the disputed recruitment contract to UK workers.

Downturn will bring big fall in migrant workers, says CBI

Companies facing decline in demand for goods and services will reduce their use of agency staff, MPs are told

The use of migrant labour in Britain will decline abruptly as companies face a sharp fall in demand for their goods and services, the Confederation of British Industry told MPs yesterday. John Cridland, the CBI's deputy director general, told the Commons home affairs committee that the first response of many firms to the downturn was to reduce their dependency on agency staff, many of whom are migrant workers.

He said that there was evidence that many nationals of new EU states were going home as unemployment rose in Britain and suggested that the flow of skilled migrants from outside Europe would also decline. He added: "I expect that, when we have the next report from the [Home Office's] migration advisory committee on the needs for skilled labour, we will not see the same need for non-EU labour in the same numbers because of the need to provide as many employment opportunities as possible for the unemployed. All I'm suggesting is that the market will correct itself, but what we cannot avoid is a significant increase in unemployment, which is a sad but inevitable consequence of recession."

read full articles Click here

British jobs for British workers

Deal hope in foreign workers row

Workers say the action is not racist, but about discrimination against Britons

A possible deal to end the row over the use of foreign labour at Lincolnshire's Lindsey Oil Refinery will be put to local union leaders and workers later.

The proposal emerged after talks chaired by Acas.

A GMB union source told the BBC the deal could see half of the disputed 200 jobs offered to British workers, but the Unite leader has denied this.

Hope that new 'half-and-half' deal in foreign workers row could end wildcat strikes

A proposed deal that could end the bitter row over foreign workers at an oil refinery will be put to unions today.

Marathon talks aimed at ending a series of wildcat strikes at Lindsey plant in Lincolnshire ended last night with the outline of a possible deal.

Union sources said it involved offering half the jobs of the disputed recruitment contract to UK workers.

Downturn will bring big fall in migrant workers, says CBI

Companies facing decline in demand for goods and services will reduce their use of agency staff, MPs are told

The use of migrant labour in Britain will decline abruptly as companies face a sharp fall in demand for their goods and services, the Confederation of British Industry told MPs yesterday. John Cridland, the CBI's deputy director general, told the Commons home affairs committee that the first response of many firms to the downturn was to reduce their dependency on agency staff, many of whom are migrant workers.

He said that there was evidence that many nationals of new EU states were going home as unemployment rose in Britain and suggested that the flow of skilled migrants from outside Europe would also decline. He added: "I expect that, when we have the next report from the [Home Office's] migration advisory committee on the needs for skilled labour, we will not see the same need for non-EU labour in the same numbers because of the need to provide as many employment opportunities as possible for the unemployed. All I'm suggesting is that the market will correct itself, but what we cannot avoid is a significant increase in unemployment, which is a sad but inevitable consequence of recession."

read full articles Click here

Obituary of the high street

I have created this page as a kind of joke, but I will update this as other high street shops fall into administration.

Let me know if you know of any other shops no longer operating - regardless of how big or small.

Obituary of the high street list

Obituary of the high street

I have created this page as a kind of joke, but I will update this as other high street shops fall into administration.

Let me know if you know of any other shops no longer operating - regardless of how big or small.

Obituary of the high street list

Carrier bags and Re-usable bags

“Plastic shopping bags, or carrier bags or plastic grocery bags, are a common type of shopping bag in several countries. Most often these bags are intended for a single use to carry items from a store to a home: reuse for storage or trash is common. Heavier duty plastic shopping bags are suitable for multiple uses as shopping or storage bags.” sourced from Wikipedia

I use a re-usable bag for my shopping (onya bags), I looked in a couple of kitchen cupboards and found lots of carrier bags - we accumulate them without knowing it. In the last year Sainsbury’s has re-moved it carrier bags from the check outs (still available if you ask for one) and M & S are charging. I remember when we had to pay for carrier bags in all supermarkets.

• Every year, an estimated 13 billion plastic carrier bags are given away by Supermarkets; this is the equivalent to over 290 bags to every person in the UK.

• We produce and use 20 times more carrier bags then we did 50 years ago.

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