These two paragons of virtue and morals were set up in a sting by Channel 4 and the Daily Telegraph were they both were gladly willing to help representatives of a Chinese company by helping to promote and lobby for their company. Of course this came at a price. Jack Straw was willing to settle for his standard fee of only £5,000 for a day whilst Sir Malcolm Rifkind came at a higher price of £5,000 to £8,000 for a HALF a DAYS work. This is on top of their M.P.s salary of £67,060 per year plus their very extensive expenses allowance. Sir Malcolm Rifkind also tried to appear impoverished as he stated; “I am self-employed so nobody pays me a salary. I have to earn my income.” What complete and utter nonsense. What he really meant was I am open to any offer you wish to make me. I am willing to sell myself and my privileged position to the highest bidder. http://www.parliament.uk/about/mps-and-lords/members/pay-mps/
Does a salary of over £67,000 a year not count as paid income? What arrogance from a man who is only too willing to use his position as senior M.P. Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee, now ex- Chair, he resigned his position after he was exposed, and ex-cabinet minister to fatten his wallet. The irony is that he is ex-Chair of the now defunct Standards and Privileges committee which was set up in 1955 to oversee and recommend allowances and expenditure of M.P.s to regulate the behaviour of M.P.s to make recommendations to the House of complaints on any breach of Parliamentary Privilege. Or to see if any M.P. had been a bad boy or girl and if any punishment was necessary, such as a suspension from the House of Commons.
I can only imagine the glee and joy that the Members of Parliament felt in knowing that “Malky the Milker” was in charge.
As for Jack Straw I suppose his only recent claim to fame or infamy, apart from being an M.P. for Blackburn since 1979 serving as Foreign Secretary, (2001-2006), and Home Secretary, (1997-2001), is when as Home Secretary he refused to extradite General Pinochet to Spain to face charges of Crimes against Humanity when Pinochet was President of Chile. Jack Straw released Pinochet in March 2000 allowing him to go back to Chile as a free man. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indictment_and_arrest_of_Augusto_Pinochet
What always amazes me is that when an M.P. is caught with his snout in trough they plead that they have done nothing wrong and have not broken any parliamentary rules or regulations. They are the people that wish to dictate to the people of the U.K. on how to behave, observe morals and principles and to obey the law. Jack Straw in the exposé was also not shy in mentioning that he will shortly become named as Lord therefore sitting as a Peer of the Realm in the House of Lords. I assume that sitting as a Peer in the House of Lords he could influence decisions and votes and he would have the openings to talk to top business people, Cabinet Ministers, Members of the European Parliament and the like. In fact Jack Straw boasted that he had influenced members of the European Parliament to give an advantageous outcome to clients he was being paid to represent and promote their business activities. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/investigations/11411007/Jack-Straw-and-Sir-Malcolm-Rifkind-in-latest-cash-for-access-scandal.html
The two disgraced M.P.s fortunately have not only suffered great embarrassment but Sir Malcom Rifkind, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Rifkind apart from resigning from the Intelligence and Security Committee has now decided not to stand for re-election at the coming General election on Thursday May the 7th. Whilst Jack Straw http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Straw who had already decided to stand down as an M.P. will probably not now receive his cherished Peerage as a Lord sitting in the House of Lords.
The Parliamentary web site does not hang about; it immediately listed both M.P.s as Independents as soon as they had the party whip was withdrawn. Withdrawing the Party Whip means an M.P. is no longer part of that Parliamentary party. In this case Rifkind is no longer a Member of the Conservative Parliamentary party and it is the same for Jack Straw with the Labour party. Both are no longer funded by the relevant political parties.
M.P.s are always claiming that they work hard either in Parliament or in their constituencies but it is surprising how many of them, especially the Tory M.P.s, have time for a second job, or highly paid part-time directorships, to supplement their salaries and fat excessive expenses claims.
How many are there still using their position to line their pockets and being paid a salary about three times above the national average?
McTaggart
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