======================== TomCopley.com

Seems to me the woman is getting span out on purpose by the commons and various other left-thinking media who are trying to derail the current change in mood by any tactic possible.

 One should always consider that the member of staff who is "whistle blowing" is apparently a FORMER conservative member of staff. Always remember when the word "former" is used it usually is some sort of grudge, especially when one sits on it for a full decade. Which to me is absolutely ridiculous. If something is up, you should report it fairly quickly, not wait 10 years.

 The other thing I always remember is that at present it's endemic on both sides of the house, which is perhaps the terrible part of the whole situation, Spelman's "crime" by comparison is fairly mundane compared to MP's expenses, pay rises and everything else on top of their 6 figure salaries. Not to mention fiddled mortgage claims by Blair, or the Balls expenses, or Nick Clegg's pathetic claims [He's a sodding millionaire and claimed the MAXIMUM on the Kitchen expenses]

The problem is the house needs a very good clean out of all the "old" mps on BOTH SIDES, not to mention a radically rethought expenses and claims system, preferably one that is crystal clear and easy to understand rather than this myriad of secrecy and such that only "Theyworkforyou.com" manages to solve in a slightly easier format.

Dunno Alex. I said immediately this broke that child care SHOULD be claimable for MPs and at least tax-deductible for the rest of us. Recognized properly as an investment that helps US ALL do our jobs.

But, BUT, Caroline Spelman has no sympathy from me over the pickle she's in. Childcare wasn't allowed from this money at the time. Mums (and dads) in all walks of life at the time and to this day have had to find the money for childcare ourselves. Almost always.

Obviously Tina was no secretary. Obviously passing her off as one was at best flirting with the limits and probably knowing cheating. And the cover up claims so far have been pathetic.

Spelman does not say proudly that she deserved cash for childcare and so she claimed it. She pretends this woman was paid for 30 hours secretarial work and paid nothing for childcare.

What crap this is. And Spelman being Cameron's scout on sleaze?

Compared to all the other Tory sleaze of the moment - which has so far not got the traction it deserves - this may well be small fry.

 But let us not pretend she should not be sacked. Clearly she should be if she will not resign.

My kids were looked after by a brilliant woman called Joyce, and we paid, and it was not tax deductible, and it was not paid for by the tax payer, and that happens to be the way for most of the world. 

Caroline Spelman was (I think knowingly) stiffing real office workers like Tory Wife Sally Hammond who probably had to do FT work on PT pay <i>because</i> of the nanny arrangement. Sally has it seems become one of the chief witnesses against Cazzer.

Sympathetic to the idea of childcare cost being paid by employers? Yes I! Sympathetic to Spelman? NO! Please!! She is as a Tory an agent of removing improvements and opportunities for most women.

When have the Tories ever voted for minimum wage, or supported the ideal of parity of sexes, or properly supported any childcare support?

Spelman MUST be sacked as party chair by Cameron. There is no reason that feminists like yourself should resist that Alex.

One could construct a case for a male MP to employ someone to help his effectiveness that was for example a whore; or a tailor: or a personal trainer; or a hypnotist; or a Pizza chef; or even a child care person. But the money is/was really for admin support.

Labour MUST weigh in on the matter of being the party of helping childcare, and wanting to see parents helped more, and even perhaps creating a creche and a childcare fund in the HoP regime.

But protecting Spelman? Oh please. Do give over. She wasn't and isn't striking a blow for women. She was and is helping herself.

And in doing so reducing rather than increasing the resource for her constituents.

I am always pleased to see Labour sympathizers and Tory sympathizers singing from the same sheet on the issue of expenses at least, and I hope that LabourHome will welcome the idea of a transparent expenses system as proposed by Mr Cameron and even lobby their own Labour MPs for a similar system, there is a lack of accountability and policing within the expenses system and it's really annoying the public.

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What I am surprised about though is the usual stock phrase of "Tories don't care about anybody". Are we suddenly back in 1708 instead of 2008? with this kind of nonsensical language? Honestly.

You don't win the most elections than any other party simply by being evil, bloodthirsty and uncaring to "the little person". Even with the rise of the "Workers Party" the Tories still managed to win more elections than they lost.

It really does strike me as the stupid phrases that are becoming endemic on elements of the left-wing at present, if you want to do actual opposition to any right-wing idealogy, you might want to put away the screaming lunacy "Holy-Water" Tendancy.

"TORIES I BANISH THEE! TORIES I BANISH THEE!"

Seems to be the increasingly hysterical call from some the left,[Especially the left-leaning media] they're wondering why people are turning away from them in droves, and is it any wonder why when the phrases are to attack anything and to lash out when things don't continuously go your way?

People are angry, they want answers and it tends to be "tough" from our politicians, especially those on the left at present. No clear answers results in anger, anger turns into serious punishment at the ballot box, especially now when there's an economic crisis looming, and the government seems paralyzed to find a way of trimming the system to lower taxes to ensure the slowdown doesn't hit everybody as hard as it did in the 70's.