http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5297361/MPs-expenses-by-Matt.html?image=4

If I might reply on behalf of slownewsday:

“La,La,La,you’re a bitch,La,La,La…

We have a considerable amount of evidence in respect to Dr Mitchell. Had Mitchell been diligent as a Review Editor, he could have produced documentation on how he discharged his duties, including his correspondence on the controversial hockey stick section (which he acknowledged as a problem).

He’s not only refused but has gone to extraordinary lengths to avoid disclosing his comments as IPCC Review Editor, which have been withheld in breach of IPCC openness policies.

First he said that he had destroyed all his email correspondence as IPCC Review Editor- I don’t believe this. I do not believe that a Hadley Center executive would destroy his correspondence or that Hadley Center wouldn’t have backup in any event.

Then he untruthfully said that he had acted as IPCC Review Editor in a “personal” capacity and therefore didn’t have to disclose his comments to FOI. But upon FOI request, it turned out that he had been paid to attend meetings and been reimbursed for his expenses. So this was untrue as well.

So they found a new excuse to withhold the Review Comments. It might interfere with relations with an international organization – IPCC. But IPCC policies state that comments are to be public.

My criticism of Mitchell is not made casually or without considerable circumstantial evidence. If he produces his Review Editor comments and they demonstrate that he was diligent in his discharge of his duties, then I’ll withdraw the remarks. Right now, it appears that he was little more than an extra wheel.

Nasty little bitch, aren’t you. You don’t like that? Don’t be one. You have a vivid imagination, and show no compunction in using to to denigrate people when you have no actual evidence of anything.

In 1971 the Heath government was pressured to raise MP’s salaries at a time when the rest of the country were tightening their belts. Since he was politically unable to up their wages, he introduced a very generous expenses regime, and indicated (internally) that this should be taken in liew of a pay rise. Over the years the MPs expenses have become so much a part of their remuneration that the Fees Office will work with each MP to ensure that they claim the maximum possible, and will draw attention to any area where the MP might be not claiming as much as they could. This is why MPs are providing these juicy quotes along the lines of ‘fiddling my expenses is my right’ which we are all enjoying so much…

snip

Arthur, you have been spending too much time with Zaphod Beeblebrox. Come back to earth!