Politicians expenses scandal
Recession? What recession?

Daniel Waldron, 8 April 2009

Working people in Northern Ireland are certainly feeling the effects of the recession, with wage cuts, daily announcements of job losses and slashes in public services. The local politicians, however, could be forgiven for asking, ‘Recession? What recession?’

Recent reports have highlighted just how tasty the Stormont and Westminster gravy trains really are, with all the main local parties aboard.

While we are struggling to hold onto our jobs and homes, leading politicians are living a life of luxury. They must be under the impression that there are plenty of jobs available, with many double - or even triple-jobbing, often with a house for each position!

Nigel Dodds topped the money-grabbing list for 2007/08. He was paid £110,000 for his MP and MLA posts, but claimed more than double that in ‘expenses’. When his Belfast City Council allowance is included, he raked in almost £360,000! Mark Durkan wasn’t far behind though, taking home well over £300,000 in salaries and expenses, while ‘Lady’ Sylvia Hermon of the UUP got a handsome sum of £200,000 from her single post as an MP!

The prize for most barefaced greed, however, has to go to Peter Robinson and his wife, Iris. With 6 salaries and expense accounts between them, they received over £570,000 of taxpayers‘ money! This includes expense claims they both made for their £490,000 East Belfast home. No wonder they can afford a holiday home in Orlando, Florida, and to provide highly-paid jobs for 4 close relatives in their offices!

We are clearly not getting our money’s worth. The politicians have been shown to be unconcerned about and incapable of dealing with the crisis facing ordinary people, a crisis they cannot understand while living on these massive salaries. Socialist representatives have a proud tradition of living on the same wages as those they represent. We need a new political voice, committed to fighting in the interests of the working class, not fat cats out to line their own pockets.