Public turn on politicians in record-breaking Question Time..

[UKIP]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1182369/Public-fury-MPs-expenses-boils-TVs-Question-Time-Ming-Campbell-Margaret-Beckett-jeered.html

Public anger over MPs expenses boiled over yesterday as senior MPs - including Margaret Beckett - were booed and jeered on the BBC's flagship current affairs programme Question Time.

In extraordinary scenes, the audience turned on Mrs Beckett after she tried to claim £600 for hanging baskets and pot plants.

The former Foreign Secretary was virtually drowned out by angry shouts of 'scandal' and 'are you better than us?' after said she refused to pay back a penny of her expenses to the taxpayer.

In a sign of the mounting disgust, Question Time yesterday recorded its highest viewing figures since the programme went on the airwaves more than 30 years ago.


A staggering 3.8million tuned in to watch senior politician's explaining themselves - nearly 30 per cent of the viewing public. Programme insiders said the jump in viewing figures was 'unprecedented' and reflected 'how angry people are'.

The special edition of the show, which was broadcast in Grimsby, also saw the former Liberal Democrat leader Menzies Campbell pilloried by viewers.

I haven't watched it all yet, but my Dad tells me Margaret Beckett was being heckled on Question Time, all we can say really is that they have really all shot themselves in the foot this time, and for parties like UKIP and BNP who are running in the European Elections, Sky News are predicting large gains for both parties as Labour slides to its lowest poll rating since the 1980's under the disasterous Michael Foot who is credited with writing the 'longest suicide note in history' - (which means the Labour manifesto at that time).

Meanwhile the Conservatives are also down, and some Labour MP's who hold swing seats will almost certainly have their careers ended in 2010 when a General Election is called.

I particulary like this part, shows the pure arrogance of Margaret Beckett and the political elite we have in this country, they should all face prosecution and i'd go one futher, maybe the Queen should call an election with all those MP's whom have genuinely fiddled expenses being barred from standing to defend their seat.

A women in the audience demanded: 'Mrs Beckett, are you going to take back the £72,000 that you have taken, after your mealy-mouthed answer trying to explain yourself.'

The Housing Minister, who was booed when she said 'no', went on to say that the general public did not 'understand' the system of MPs expense.

One member of the audience lectured the shocked looking MP: 'Mrs Beckett, you do us a disservice when you say the public don't understand - we do understand.

'And perhaps the only way you will understand id when you see the results at the ballot box.'

A poll by the Sun newspaper for the EU elections puts these parties on the following percentages;

Conservatives 29%
Labour 20%
Liberal Democrat 19%
UKIP 15%
Green Party 6%
SNP/PC 4%
BNP 3%
Others 1%

[alexxxxx]

I'm glad to see the MPs are getting a grilling.

[Barkseh]

tbh.. we'd all do it if we could.

[scottish]

Labour should and hopefully will win again.

[Geraint]

yeah, she was getting a lot of stick. the presenter had to tell the audience to stop shouting out because she couldn't be heard.

best quote though "margaret, you've been fingered by the telegraph alot" ol:

[Fez]

I find it sick that we have people dying in hospitals, a disease about to become a pandemic, thousands of people dying outside of the UK, an education system which could be moderately improved and generally a failing economy. Yet the politicians get to claim money from the tax money pool, which is just about OUR money and not theirs.

It's just sickening to even think that these people can even DIP into the tax money pool. I mean c'mon, why would an MP actually dip into the pool? To buy medicines to send to people? An action like medicine or hospital blahs is a parliamentary decision and not just one person's.

[cocaine]

a disease about to become a pandemic

yeah that was a whole scary 2 days :rolleyes:

and its good to see these MPs get put in their place.

[Fez]

yeah that was a whole scary 2 days :rolleyes:

and its good to see these MPs get put in their place.

It still has the potential to become one.

[GommeInc]

Indeed it could become a pandemic, but so is the common cold and winter flu, yet they're harmless and swine flu is less harmful than winter flu (no severe joint pain, colds and so on) and can be dealt with more efficiently and effectively than flu vaccines, which are quite scarce during the winter months, with people lining up outside Doctor Surgeries and Medical Centres to have it done.

[FlyingJesus]

Apparently one MP bought a 2nd house and claimed on it despite not really living there, and then sold it to a fellow MP who also claimed the money through our tax. Just that one case cost taxpayers twice the price of a decent house, it's terrible. The fact that now they've been caught they're refusing to pay any back just makes things worse