Labour MP Denis MacShane expenses under investigation by Scotland Yard

[Manlinose]

Charges were brought against all members who were found to have committed fraud.

 

i know i'm a pedantic beggar, but the charges were brought against those accused of fraud - at the time the charges were brought they hadn't been found guilty

 

and i'm not sure anyone is free to make unproven accusations of fraud on this forum - although i could be wrong

 

incidentally, it always used to be the general case in the past that where politicians committed offences, labour's were usually associated with money and conservative's were usually associated with sex - maybe because the average labour politician is poorer than the average conservative

[Mikes10]

Denis MacShane jailed for 6 months: MP expenses fraud

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25492017

[rickiethecat]

incidentally, it always used to be the general case in the past that where politicians committed offences, labour's were usually associated with money and conservative's were usually associated with sex - maybe because the average labour politician is poorer than the average conservative

 

or maybe because the average conservative is better looking!

[Penistone999]

Another one who wasnt clever enough to cover his tracks and make sure he wasnt caught.

[Mecky]

lord hanningfield

 

Precisely, as named earlier.

 

The whole thread was aimed soly at Labour MPs and to negatively influence public opinion directly, you've just have to look at the thread title to see that. It says LABOUR MP Denis MacShane expenses under investigation by Scotland Yard and not MP under expenses investigation by Scotland Yard.

 

MPs of all parties have been dipping their snouts in the trough, it's not just common to an individual or a political party.

[SevenRivers]

Precisely, as named earlier.

 

The whole thread was aimed soly at Labour MPs and to negatively influence public opinion directly, you've just have to look at the thread title to see that. It says LABOUR MP Denis MacShane expenses under investigation by Scotland Yard and not MP under expenses investigation by Scotland Yard.

 

MPs of all parties have been dipping their snouts in the trough, it's not just common to an individual or a political party.

 

Whilst I agree, I know if it was a Tory you'd be the first to do likewise.

[Happ Hazzard]

6 months is a pitifully short sentence.

[iansheff]

They all pee in the same pot, all as bad as each other, Tory and Labour. They are riding a gravy train and like a lot of people who have money they want more.

[Jeffrey Shaw]

6 months is a pitifully short sentence.

Know much about the Judicial Sentencing Board, do you?

[taxman]

6 months is a pitifully short sentence.

 

 

It sounds strangely long to me, given that I deal with people who commit fraud involving hundreds of thousands of pounds who just have to pay it back plus a monetary penalty. It's cheaper to deal civilly with tax fraud hence the comparatively low % of criminal prosecutions.

 

MacShane was done for less than £13,000. That amount wouldn't even be referred to our Evasion Referral Team, it wouldn't be worth their while to pursue it.

 

Which, IMHO, proves in this case that the law is not equal. It picks and chooses it's cases. If he was a builder he'd have to pay the money back plus a 70% - 100% penalty. No criminal case whatsoever.

 

I'm not complaining that he's been made an example of, but tens of thousands of people every year defraud a lot more than he did and they don't get porridge.