A cheap shot
Benefit cheats can get up to ten year
prison sentences. That's the proposal. It is, without any shadow of
doubt, a massive cheap political shot.
Benefit fraud accounts for
approximately 0.7% of the welfare budget. Now the proportion of
claimants involved in fraudulent claims is presumably less than that
(the fraudsters will be responsible for multiple claims) but lets be
generous and leave it at 0.7%. The authorities want to be seen to be
getting tough about things and ten years in the slammer, that's
plenty tough. But is it equitable, or a sensible argument? Is it a
reasonable use of funds?
Well, lets compare and contrast the
0.7% of dodgy benefit claimants with the 0.8% of dodgy MP's expenses
claimants.
Oh. Sorry. Got the sums wrong.
That should be the 59.8% of MPs
embroiled in the expenses scandal. So, fine, the point they make is
that benefit fraud is not a victimless crime. It is stealing
taxpayers' money. So is claiming expenses you are not entitled to,
switching houses, claiming rent while you camp out at your sister's
place, etc. Lets get after them with the same enthusiasm. Lets bang
up half of parliament (over half, almost six in ten, actually) for
ten years at a time. Or is it just a very cheap shot?
While we're gunning for the great and
the good of Westminster, I hope those among them that end up keeping
Stuart Hall, Rolf Harris and Jeremy Clarkson company on the nonce
wing get the full force of the prison terms available. The deputy
speaker is already up in front of the beaks for (for some reason the
papers presented the charges in descending order of unacceptable
behaviour for someone who wants to dictate the behaviour of others)
goosing, fiddling, stalking and rape (or something like that). It'd
be a brave man who gambled against him pitching up, if found guilty,
sharing with the speeding-ticket peers and wife-takes-the-points in
the Jeffrey Archer four-star cozy correctional facility.
About Archer...
...I find it impossible to take anyone
who reads the little oddball's books seriously. He wrote about his
term in prison. It was never exactly going to be The Ballad of North
Sea Camp Open Gaol. He's not the only one. What makes MPs think
anyone cares about their experiences watching telly and scoffing posh
nosh from their hampers in some state-funded holiday camp?
Aaron Ramsey...
...is a player, and is on fire at the
moment.
Ryan Shawcross...
...is a retarded thug who blubs like a
baby the minute things don't go his way, and I would love to see an
early end to his participation on Sunday.
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