tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post3413312042136810824..comments2024-03-28T07:49:04.960+00:00Comments on nickhereandnow: Straight talkingnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472673041193755894noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-86938496435355101582010-06-03T08:53:24.212+01:002010-06-03T08:53:24.212+01:00Megan - They're fallible human beings, sure, b...Megan - They're fallible human beings, sure, but this was a bit more than fallible. This was a millionaire claiming £40,000 in rent payments he wasn't entitled to. And another £100,000 of claims are under investigation.Nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-1692729859880903922010-06-03T06:39:15.234+01:002010-06-03T06:39:15.234+01:00Politicians have been getting caught with their pa...Politicians have been getting caught with their pants down ever since there were politicians. And yet they still continue to behave like the fallible human beings they are. How shocking.<br /><br />In other words, I'm never shocked by anything that comes "out" about any of them. There but for lack of ambition go I...Meganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09387041422819664987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-81072553122177828042010-06-02T10:01:03.908+01:002010-06-02T10:01:03.908+01:00Liz - Probably a combination of both. Yes, he was ...Liz - Probably a combination of both. Yes, he was greedy and bent the rules about reclaiming rent. But whoever leaked the details presumably wanted to sabotage either him or the new coalition government.Nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-81255600398479962422010-06-02T09:48:35.349+01:002010-06-02T09:48:35.349+01:00Aww, that's awful. Was he crooked or did his p...Aww, that's awful. Was he crooked or did his political enemies out him to get rid of him?Liz Dwyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17794296990587989214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-46053348112138387622010-06-01T21:08:56.669+01:002010-06-01T21:08:56.669+01:00Leah - It is depressing. And perverse in today'...Leah - It is depressing. And perverse in today's more open-minded climate.<br /><br />A wonderful word, git. Apparently its original meaning was an illegitimate child.Nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-18985871940706400752010-06-01T17:49:42.476+01:002010-06-01T17:49:42.476+01:00That aspect of it is terribly depressing.
I like ...That aspect of it is terribly depressing.<br /><br />I like Kylie's summation--especially because I LOVE the word "git."Leahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14061893047279652658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-21902049539661092282010-06-01T17:05:28.704+01:002010-06-01T17:05:28.704+01:00Suburbia - True, how can you have a normal life wh...Suburbia - True, how can you have a normal life when you're always hiding something so fundamental and always afraid someone will expose you?Nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-9883016206168866282010-06-01T16:09:31.167+01:002010-06-01T16:09:31.167+01:00So sad to have to pretend all your life, no life a...So sad to have to pretend all your life, no life at all in fact?Suburbiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05352465945711496612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-61712849499156832802010-06-01T09:19:45.284+01:002010-06-01T09:19:45.284+01:00www - That's right, rent can't be claimed ...www - That's right, rent can't be claimed by an MP in a "spousal" relationship, so he claimed they were not behaving spousally! How deceitful can you get? As you say, he's now using the desire to keep his gayness secret as an excuse for the expenses-fiddling. Which of course makes no sense at all.<br /><br />Kylie - That sums it up very neatly.<br /><br />Secret Agent - Yes, that happens sometimes over here as well. And some gay men still use a bogus (straight) marriage to conceal their real sexuality.Nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-20764649185462687922010-06-01T01:34:19.321+01:002010-06-01T01:34:19.321+01:00See, if he were a US political figure, he'd ha...See, if he were a US political figure, he'd have been out-spokenly anti-gay rights and then tearful when he was outed. Because we're crazy that way.secret agent womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03763879283931347382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-43999030490212229802010-06-01T00:29:45.134+01:002010-06-01T00:29:45.134+01:00maybe he is just a weak git and his behaviour on b...maybe he is just a weak git and his behaviour on both counts is symptomatickyliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08964475783207438103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-10439003468986703802010-05-31T23:52:09.829+01:002010-05-31T23:52:09.829+01:00My take, from what I've read, is a little diff...My take, from what I've read, is a little different. I think his homosexuality was hidden because he was on the take and wished to keep the 'spousal' definition off the books or he couldn't claim his rental expenses. The wealthiest people go on the fiddle all the time, their wealth does not exempt them. We had similar such scandals here in Canada.<br />Now that he's been caught he is using not outing himself as an excuse to which I say pshaw, this is not Amurrica.<br />XO<br />WWWWisewebwomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15281689872840844191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-91062550258960735502010-05-31T22:12:31.942+01:002010-05-31T22:12:31.942+01:00Baino - You're right that the expenses-fiddlin...Baino - You're right that the expenses-fiddling is the important issue to the general public, but I think it's also astonishing that he continues to hide his sexuality in such enlightened times.Nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-20519347750803076942010-05-31T21:12:49.930+01:002010-05-31T21:12:49.930+01:00Its a shame that the focus seems to have switched....Its a shame that the focus seems to have switched. He's a frauduilent politician and that's so much more important than his sexual preference. I think it a great shame that the two are positioned as related. We have openly gay politicians here even the president of the AMA is gay and proud but the issue here is his swindling not the fact that he's been outed. This sort of distraction is unnecessary and so typical of tabloid journalismBainohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14156193098088048637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-66462762620117552092010-05-31T16:42:00.810+01:002010-05-31T16:42:00.810+01:00Scarlet - Well, it was frowned upon at one time bu...Scarlet - Well, it was frowned upon at one time but nowadays there are quite a number of openly out MPs. It's not exactly earth-shattering news any more.<br /><br />Kate - I think nowadays all they really care about is whether he's doing his job properly. After all, Simon Hughes (another Liberal Democrat MP) has been out for many years.<br /><br />Ramana - I think you're right there. What did he even need the £40,000 (rent payments) for when he's already a millionaire? But that's not what people are focussing on.<br /><br />Grannymar - Absolutely, he knew he was fiddling the money, he knew he wasn't entitled to it, but he was too greedy to back off. Of course half the other MPs were on the fiddle as well, but that didn't make it right.Nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-66227190402566899862010-05-31T15:54:54.812+01:002010-05-31T15:54:54.812+01:00The fact that he is gay is immaterial and no excus...The fact that he is gay is immaterial and no excuse for fiddling his expenses and at forty what ever, he is old enough to know that.Grannymarhttp://grannymar.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-72759749675273129152010-05-31T14:30:58.426+01:002010-05-31T14:30:58.426+01:00I personally believe that the 'outing' has...I personally believe that the 'outing' has given him a handle to tackle his other more serious offense, that of using tax payers' money for paying rent. Using the sympathy of the former, he is getting away with the latter.Rummuserhttp://www.rummuser.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-75930742722501230062010-05-31T12:35:41.270+01:002010-05-31T12:35:41.270+01:00Probably not - the world is a very strange place w...Probably not - the world is a very strange place with people who like their politicians to be straight laced stereotypes - not real people!!<br />Sad isn't it?Katehttp://www.iramble.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-79049249342524047052010-05-31T11:14:53.515+01:002010-05-31T11:14:53.515+01:00I suppose he grew up in a time when it was still f...I suppose he grew up in a time when it was still frowned upon in his chosen career. <br />Yes, it is all very sad.<br />SxMs Scarlethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00449626572478125088noreply@blogger.com