Incandescent with Rage

[Grimweasel]

This lot that govern us make my blood boil. So, after the entire MPs’ expenses claims furore, they then award themselves up to £750 a month for food when 'deployed' to London!

Would this be the same merry lot that did away with the married unaccompanied food charge and first 30 days free food for personnel on detachment/course etc?

So, if I was to work in civvie street and ‘the company’ sent me away on course (for their and my benefit) THEY would cover my expenses (ie food etc) - not so if you work for the British Forces!

No; you'll be expected to pay for your own food from your own pocket.

So now we have a situation where 'toms' are not prepared to go on course etc because they would be financially disadvantaged for doing so. If he's a single SAC with a wife and 2 kids he still has to provide for them back home but with the added cost of £140 on top of his monthly food bill for his food that the MoD won't supply whilst he’s away from home??

Now, I know people will say IE under JPA covers this but that's not the point, or indeed the purpose of IE.

I will be writing to my MP to ask for his explanation of this dereliction of duty to his troops; How come the MPs and Civil Servants under MoD get completely different rules to us military types - I thought the days of the classless society were over???

Rant off (for now!)

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

I thought the days of the classless society were over

Clearly, they are.

In all fairness, you do have a point. It's a great incentive not to go anywhere nor do anything.

[High_Expect]

Shall we make this an unofficial petition?

It gets my vote.

Coup anyone?

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

I take it that this was the fuse igniter; New rules on parliamentary expenses were drawn up in secret - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5921078/New-rules-on-parliamentary-expenses-were-drawn-up-in-secret.html)


New rules governing parliamentary expenses were drawn up in secret by a powerful, cross-party committee of senior MPs chaired by the Speaker of the Commons.

[Grimweasel]

The very same report Bravo - heard it on Radio 1 news on the way into work this morning and had to double check the facts. Unbelievable!

[Brewers Droop]

Love the rant grim :D- agree totally but do watch the heart. This blood boiling thing is quite a nasty condition.

However (a word often seen in my ACR), I just wanted to clarify that you intend to write to an MP to complain about MP expenses?

[Brewster Buffalo]

Calm down calm down

"A controversial allowance that enables MPs to claim £25 a day without producing a receipt is set to be scrapped."

".. £25-a-night allowance effectively replaced the £400 a month allowance for food, which required no receipts."

£25-a-day subsistence allowance for MPs to be scrapped - UK Politics, UK - The Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/16325aday-subsistence-allowance-for-mps-to-be-scrapped-1764011.html)

[Grimweasel]

Even if they do have to produce reciepts it still allows them to recover costs incurred from the state.

My point still stands - why are forces' personnel being charged for food when they are taken away from their homes/barracks by the service? If they charged me food maoney and then I claimed it back for the period I was on course/detachement I'd be fine with it. But they don't!!??

Am I being dim or just robbed by the state??

[Fareastdriver]

Dead right. As a civil ex-RAF helicopter pilot there is no way that I will go on detachment, posting or unforseen time away from home without financial reward. One gets accommodated or paid for it above the going rate and one gets an allowance to buy my own food which will also be above the minimum rate.
Receipts? Dream along. Should I not feel like eating a lot one day I can save it up and make a pig of myself on another and if somebody joins me then so be it.
When you go away somewhere you live on the company, not on your salary. The same as I used to do in the Royal Air force.