Frank Field spoke softly and precisely. Yesterday, amid the frantic explanations, he provided a reality check. He said that MPs, as a whole, were not held in the highest esteem. “It is difficult to think how much lower our collective reputation might sink.” Times
Only in politics can you embezzle to that level and keep your job.
But of course there is banking where you get paid a bonus for it.
What I don’t get is why forgetting to do paperwork for private donations to a deputy-leadership campaign leads to a criminal investigation whereas stealing the taxpayers money simply results in being asked to pay it back. It’s a bit like saying that if you get caught walking into a bank and stealing £20k with a shotgun that the penalty would be to give the money back. Hardly a disincentive!!
Gotta love Frank Field. Sometimes.
I agree. As Frank Field said “If this example of what I would see as embezzlement had occurred on this scale in, say, the Refreshment Department, we would expect the person involved to leave the employment of this establishment on the day it was discovered.”
It is fraud, plain and simple, no different to making a false benefits claim down at the DSS. Also an abuse of privilege and I think he should duly be treated more harshly than someone making a fraudulent benefits claim.