Did anyone see Jim Devine on C4 news?

Rolfe · 5th February 2010, 02:15 PM

What a train wreck! I'm probably going to launch into my regular rant about central Scotland Labour MPs again. Put a red rosette on a cabbage and they'd elect it. The skills needed to get selected as a candidate for that sort of constituency are not necessarily the skills that make a good MP.

It's an openly sought-after gravy-train job. Their main aim in standing for parliament is to feather their own nests. Get out of that low-grade bus conductor's job and use the T&GWU to get you a nice cushy number. Draw the salary and play the expenses system for all it's worth.

Krishnan Guru-Murthy described the interview as "astonishing", and I'd have paid good money to hear him discussing it with the producers afterwards. I don't think I've heard such a public display of low-hair-line, knuckle-dragging vacuity since the hey-day of Big Brother.

The oddity of this is the actual charges that have been brought. There was good evidence, mostly ferreted out by Paul Hutcheon of the Sunday Herald, that he had fabricated an invoice relating to rewiring of his London flat that had never actually happened. Also, the matter of the many metres of heavy-duty sheving that was never traced. Jim gave several versions of where this expensive item was, first saying it was in his constituency office, then when the journalists couldn't find it there he said it was in his London premises, then when they went there and again found nothing he mentioned the basement of a derelict pub in his constituency. There, although tatty shelving was found, there was nowhere near enough, it seemed to be piecemeal ad-hoc erections of different specifications, and it didn't fit what was described on the invoice submitted. Again, there was the suspicion that the invoice was simply fabricated.

However, he hasn't been charged with that, but about two completely different matters. An invoice submitted for "stationery" which wasn't used to buy paper and envelopes at all but to pay staff, and putting in a prospective claim for cleaning expenses to beat a change in the rules that was going to disallow the claim. He protests that this was how the system worked and he'd been told it was fine to make these claims.

He and the others are now claiming parliamentary privilege to declare that they are above the law and can't be charged over anything they do in relation to their positions as MPs.

I think he's as bent as a corkscrew and I don't think he's the only one. David Marshall of less than blessed memory resigned just ahead of a similar scandal about two years ago. But it's the abysmal intellectual standard of the man that's the really jaw-dropping part. He's literally and demonstrably a moron. A moron out to milk the system for all it's worth.

Why do voters elect people like that?

Sigh. Don't tell me. I know.

Rolfe.

Rolfe · 7th February 2010, 03:34 PM

Nobody interested?

There was another Paul Hutcheon article in today's paper, but I've been unable to find it online. That shows the handwriting on Devine's expenses slips to be startlingly identical to the handwriting on the invoice for the cleaning services - the ones he claimed for a year in advance.

Devine says none of this was fraud (despite being explicitly against the rules), because he didn't benefit personally. He appears to have about as much clue as a cabbage.

He's probably going to get away with it, but the evidence suggests he was simply fabricating receipts himself and submitting them for payment. Another turnip, elected by turnips, with no thought in his head bar how to get as much gravy off the gravy train as possible.

Nobody want to support the Labour party in this? I certainly admit there have been competent west of Scotland Labour MPs, even if I don't agree with them or their politics. But what sort of a system do we have when we can get saddled with the likes of Marshall and Devine?

Rolfe.

geni · 7th February 2010, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by Rolfe

He's probably going to get away with it, but the evidence suggests he was simply fabricating receipts himself and submitting them for payment. Another turnip, elected by turnips, with no thought in his head bar how to get as much gravy off the gravy train as possible.

With the small number being prossecuted I suspect the CPS is targeting only those who they have a pretty solid case against.

Quote:

Nobody want to support the Labour party in this?

Labour party have pretty much dissowned him at this point.

Quote:

I certainly admit there have been competent west of Scotland Labour MPs, even if I don't agree with them or their politics. But what sort of a system do we have when we can get saddled with the likes of Marshall and Devine?

Rolfe.

One where there are about 100 ministerial positions but where any goverment is going to have at least 323 MPs and can fill any major skills gaps with lords apointees. Even if you wanted 1 spare MP for every ministerial position that still leaves you with over 100 positions where it is irrational to fill them with anything other than lobby fodder.

In the case of Jim Devine he's UNISON who labour wanted to keep onside in 2005. He was also Robin Cook's election agent so was probably the person most familia with campaining in the consituency. On paper he looks like a safe option. In practice not so much since he fell out with the goverment over the issue of Trident submarines.

geni · 7th February 2010, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by Rolfe

I think he's as bent as a corkscrew and I don't think he's the only one. David Marshall of less than blessed memory resigned just ahead of a similar scandal about two years ago. But it's the abysmal intellectual standard of the man that's the really jaw-dropping part. He's literally and demonstrably a moron. A moron out to milk the system for all it's worth.

He's not though. Former psychiatric nurse so there is a brain in there somewhere. Parliamentary aide so labour were not writing him off as complete lobby fodder. Not a high flyier but certianly had the ability to be a functional MP.

5th February 2010, 02:15 PM	#1
Rolfe Anti-homeopathy illuminati member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NT 150 511 Posts: 34,328	Did anyone see Jim Devine on C4 news? What a train wreck! I'm probably going to launch into my regular rant about central Scotland Labour MPs again. Put a red rosette on a cabbage and they'd elect it. The skills needed to get selected as a candidate for that sort of constituency are not necessarily the skills that make a good MP. It's an openly sought-after gravy-train job. Their main aim in standing for parliament is to feather their own nests. Get out of that low-grade bus conductor's job and use the T&GWU to get you a nice cushy number. Draw the salary and play the expenses system for all it's worth. Krishnan Guru-Murthy described the interview as "astonishing", and I'd have paid good money to hear him discussing it with the producers afterwards. I don't think I've heard such a public display of low-hair-line, knuckle-dragging vacuity since the hey-day of Big Brother. The oddity of this is the actual charges that have been brought. There was good evidence, mostly ferreted out by Paul Hutcheon of the Sunday Herald, that he had fabricated an invoice relating to rewiring of his London flat that had never actually happened. Also, the matter of the many metres of heavy-duty sheving that was never traced. Jim gave several versions of where this expensive item was, first saying it was in his constituency office, then when the journalists couldn't find it there he said it was in his London premises, then when they went there and again found nothing he mentioned the basement of a derelict pub in his constituency. There, although tatty shelving was found, there was nowhere near enough, it seemed to be piecemeal ad-hoc erections of different specifications, and it didn't fit what was described on the invoice submitted. Again, there was the suspicion that the invoice was simply fabricated. However, he hasn't been charged with that, but about two completely different matters. An invoice submitted for "stationery" which wasn't used to buy paper and envelopes at all but to pay staff, and putting in a prospective claim for cleaning expenses to beat a change in the rules that was going to disallow the claim. He protests that this was how the system worked and he'd been told it was fine to make these claims. He and the others are now claiming parliamentary privilege to declare that they are above the law and can't be charged over anything they do in relation to their positions as MPs. I think he's as bent as a corkscrew and I don't think he's the only one. David Marshall of less than blessed memory resigned just ahead of a similar scandal about two years ago. But it's the abysmal intellectual standard of the man that's the really jaw-dropping part. He's literally and demonstrably a moron. A moron out to milk the system for all it's worth. Why do voters elect people like that? Sigh. Don't tell me. I know. Rolfe.
	__________________ "The way we vote will depend, ultimately, on whether we are persuaded to hope or to fear." - Aonghas MacNeacail, June 2012.

7th February 2010, 03:34 PM	#2
Rolfe Anti-homeopathy illuminati member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NT 150 511 Posts: 34,328	Nobody interested? There was another Paul Hutcheon article in today's paper, but I've been unable to find it online. That shows the handwriting on Devine's expenses slips to be startlingly identical to the handwriting on the invoice for the cleaning services - the ones he claimed for a year in advance. Devine says none of this was fraud (despite being explicitly against the rules), because he didn't benefit personally. He appears to have about as much clue as a cabbage. He's probably going to get away with it, but the evidence suggests he was simply fabricating receipts himself and submitting them for payment. Another turnip, elected by turnips, with no thought in his head bar how to get as much gravy off the gravy train as possible. Nobody want to support the Labour party in this? I certainly admit there have been competent west of Scotland Labour MPs, even if I don't agree with them or their politics. But what sort of a system do we have when we can get saddled with the likes of Marshall and Devine? Rolfe.
	__________________ "The way we vote will depend, ultimately, on whether we are persuaded to hope or to fear." - Aonghas MacNeacail, June 2012.

7th February 2010, 04:10 PM	#3
geni Anti-homeopathy illuminati member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: UK Posts: 26,568	Originally Posted by Rolfe He's probably going to get away with it, but the evidence suggests he was simply fabricating receipts himself and submitting them for payment. Another turnip, elected by turnips, with no thought in his head bar how to get as much gravy off the gravy train as possible. With the small number being prossecuted I suspect the CPS is targeting only those who they have a pretty solid case against. Quote: Nobody want to support the Labour party in this? Labour party have pretty much dissowned him at this point. Quote: I certainly admit there have been competent west of Scotland Labour MPs, even if I don't agree with them or their politics. But what sort of a system do we have when we can get saddled with the likes of Marshall and Devine? Rolfe. One where there are about 100 ministerial positions but where any goverment is going to have at least 323 MPs and can fill any major skills gaps with lords apointees. Even if you wanted 1 spare MP for every ministerial position that still leaves you with over 100 positions where it is irrational to fill them with anything other than lobby fodder. In the case of Jim Devine he's UNISON who labour wanted to keep onside in 2005. He was also Robin Cook's election agent so was probably the person most familia with campaining in the consituency. On paper he looks like a safe option. In practice not so much since he fell out with the goverment over the issue of Trident submarines.

7th February 2010, 04:15 PM	#4
geni Anti-homeopathy illuminati member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: UK Posts: 26,568	Originally Posted by Rolfe I think he's as bent as a corkscrew and I don't think he's the only one. David Marshall of less than blessed memory resigned just ahead of a similar scandal about two years ago. But it's the abysmal intellectual standard of the man that's the really jaw-dropping part. He's literally and demonstrably a moron. A moron out to milk the system for all it's worth. He's not though. Former psychiatric nurse so there is a brain in there somewhere. Parliamentary aide so labour were not writing him off as complete lobby fodder. Not a high flyier but certianly had the ability to be a functional MP.