Money for Old (or New) Rope

[Griffin NoName]

For non-Brits puzzling over this, see here.

[Sibling Chatty]

Hey, at least he's cheaper than Tom DeLay's family.

His wife earned up to $1300,000 several years, and his daughter and son-in-law were bringing in over a quarter-million a year for several years, plus a nice expense account.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

I don't like your options Griff

If there were a way for them to work without abusing the system then yes but in real life, no.

[Griffin NoName]

I don't like your options Griff

you weren't meant to. I was feeling sour !

Margaret Beckett (foreign sec. under Bliar) says no one else in the world could do what her husband does for her. 

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

And such 'expertise' is funded with taxpayers money? Now I wonder if Monica Lewinsky had a salary.. 

[beagle]

Cameron is right to sack him, and unlike Labour sleeziasts he must not be let back under any circumstances. Or even offloaded on the EU  (where he'd just learn how to cheat better).

Relatives aren't the only problem though. Just one amongst many ways of wastingpublic money.

"No, they should abuse their wives assistance on no pay"

The political correctness police will have you for not using "partner's" there.

I'd vote for no relatives on the payroll. 

[Swatopluk]

Should also depend on the actual job to be done. A close relative as personal secretary would be one thing, a highly paid consultant job on the other hand could nourish suspicions of conflict of interest or cronyism.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Should also depend on the actual job to be done.

For instance, I don't mind if such relative is going to clean the building bathrooms at the standard rate.

[Griffin NoName]

Cameron is right to sack him.

and there should be a by-election NOW.

Relatives aren't the only problem though. Just one amongst many ways of wastingpublic money.

Ken's naughtiness doesn't stop there of course. The list is endless.

"No, they should abuse their wives assistance on no pay"

The political correctness police will have you for not using "partner's" there.

I'd vote for no relatives on the payroll. 

Certainly the easiest option to apply. But until we have identity cards how can we be sure who are relatives

Yes, not PC, especially given how wonderful Dennis Thatcher was.

[Pachyderm]

Denis can't have been that bad at what he did. He was a successful businessman, a director of Castrol, and never pretended to be a politician or diplomat.
He also managed to get Mentioned in Dispatches twice during his military service, not bad for a man who was not in a combat role (Royal Engineers Searchlight Regt.)

Plus he put up with being married to Maggie, which can't have been easy....

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

For an interesting take on this subject, google the book, "George Washington's Expense Account".  It's a most amusing read, about the first year as President, by the illustrious Washington.

Creative accounting at it's finest.

When Washington offered the same deal for another period (no salary, just pay the expenses) the new Congress declined his "modest" offer.