Whenever the words “breach of human rights” comes up your blood boils. Whether it is the terrorist who you cannot deport because it would upset the life of his family (a cat), the Somali pirate or Rwandan mass murderer whose ‘uman rights would be compromised if he had to go back home to face justice or whether it is the thought of the wicked witch whose Chambers promoted this daft legislation and has grown rich on it, my blood always boils. Aaaagh Cherioe Blair what did we do as a nation to deserve you?
But now there is another oppressed and unloved minority whose human rights are, they claim, set to be breached. I refer to a group of men and women even less loved than that other great ‘human rights beneficiary Abu Qatada. I speak of course of expense grubbing greedy MPs.
The expenses watchdogs wants MPs who used taxpayers cash to buy a second home to rent out to hand back any profits made over the past two years. I cannot see what is the problem with that. It was our (i.e. the taxpayers capital) that funded these entrepreneurial ventures, we should get the profits. About 70 MPs are affected and are now threatening legal action to stop this happening.
Speaking before he was made leader of the house, Sir George Young, Bart. (The totally loaded from inherited wealth, old Etonian who is keen on reaching out to working class Tories) said that trying to get this cash back for the taxpayer would be a “breach of the human rights” of MPs. No Sir George you are wrong. Human rights are things like life, liberty and happiness. Human rights do not involved the right to manipulate a system so taxpayers cash is used to hand free profits to property speculating, greedy, sleazy MPs.
I am this morning wondering who I despise most: The Somali pirate on UK welfare, the Wicked Witch, Abu Qatada or the 70 MPs. It really is a close contest.