To Gordon Brown, Mr David Cameron, Mr Nick Glegg, 20th May 2009
I am not a political activist, just an old war pensioner, who had initially complained re being corruptly handled by governmental complaint machinery; it then spiralled.
It was early in our 6-year case that the initial suspicions arose that there was a public sector cover-up culture that percolated throughout the civil service. We were later to see signs as to the depth of the ‘inner squalor’ that existed within parliament in general. We saw first hand how regulators like Ombudsman when challenged on dodgy decisions, would retaliate with evening phone calls; such is the freelance fraudulence allowed within the public sector. We then decided in our own small way to disclose all public sector corruption that we came across.
We came to the conclusion that the Executive was rotten, and have recently written that the disgustingly crooked Lord Boothby should be made patron saint of all Westminster corruptors, we know there may well be others more worthy – we apologise. We spent 6 wasted years complaining to a discredited parliament about the Revenue/VOA and corrupt governmental complaint procedure. In our case we suffered from ombudsman graft and overall deceit in the running of the complaint procedure – we have often asked parliament that our case be investigated – especially the biased Decision Notice. How can it be, that I having complained of corrupt acts against me by the Revenue, eventually faced Revenue barristers and lawyers, with the corrupting Revenue civil servant and her executive nowhere to be seen – unable to be questioned?
We reason, that civil servants are aware of the fiddling MPs operating within parliament and that has encouraged them to adopt a ‘couldn’t give a damn’ attitude! There are also civil servants incapable of proper ‘delivery’ of projects. This ‘miasma’ goes on while a great number of MPs fiddle their expenses. We have long written of the ‘delivery problem’ that can be seen in most government departments like HO, Revenue, MOD, Treasury etc where projects often start out with enthusiasm but are often doomed at birth because there is a serious lack of quality civil servants and ministers. We have often written of government departments falling apart because of severe incompetents.
Governments have allowed an unregulated monstrous civil service to grow, then given it the ‘blind eye treatment’. The more we have complained about this fraudulent set up, the more we have been ‘hung out to dry’. Its not just civil servants at fault, we are extremely short of high calibre MPs.
I am an old war pensioner, and have strong views re broken parliament and corrupt MPs, because like many others I put my life on the line for democracy. Yet feel I am held in contempt because of my utterances re a fraudulent political system where political sleaze and corruption have become endemic – that as a whistleblower I can be put down as a ‘persistent complainer’. But just as long as we have deceitful persistent regulators and a broken sleazy parliament, it then becomes essential we have persistent whistleblowers. One is struck by the depth of skulduggery re whistleblowers within the public sector, for instance Home Office officials failed to deal with internal crooks falsifying documents etc, but fell upon the whistleblower who had disclosed the crooked acts?
The hounding of a whistelblower of national importance, Dr Kelly for instance, needs serious investigation, no humbug party-hack commission will do?
About old soldiers, we are nauseated to hear a sleaze-ridden parliament mumbling condolences re dead young soldiers given out with sombre voices by MPs. Neither dead soldier’s families, nor their comrades are comforted by words coming from such a disingenuous political institution that cannot provide proper equipment! Yet with the stupidity of first war generals, keep pushing ill-equipped men into battle.
It is the false impression of democracy that is destroying our nation, for sure Speaker Martin was unsuitable for the job, a barrier to reform, but he was unsuitable when he was chosen? It is known there was some skulduggery relating to the selection of Speaker Martin; Mo Mowlam who had nominated another person as speaker, was warned off - she backed down? Was Blair the despot who warned Mo Mowlem off?
The depth of ineptitude by Ministers has been quite appalling, one wonders if there had been a deal done whereby party hack MPs, competent or not, would be given plum ministerial jobs. One is certainly bewildered by the ineptitude and incompetence of many ministers etc Have we been held to ransom by a freewheeling Scottish Mafia?
We learnt over 6 years that honest representative government is a thing of the past; complaint procedures run by ombudsman and adjudicators have a culture of hiding away public sector failure; too often giving protection to the establishment rather than the electorate. The Revenue/VOA, because of our continued pursuance against the corrupt acts against us, once promised that a ‘proper’ internal investigation would take place. Its verdict was, that the miscreant who had given us so much aggro had acted with the ‘Best of Intentions? The political system is up to its knees in political excrement! It has to be recognised that when Ombudsman and Adjudicators strangle the complaint process, it allows party hack governments the freedom to succeed in killing off ‘open government’.
Description of all these abominations against us were sent to parliament over many years, to Prime Ministers, Minister for Justice and other Ministers and departments. We were always puzzled that no one within parliament picked up on our accusations re the Inland Revenue, now our suspicion re favouritism to MPs is ever growing?
We have written to Gus O’Donnell and Liam Byrne re incompetent sometimes-corrupt civil servants, they are incapable of cleansing this 5th column that undermines the good running of government. They however, rather deceitfully try to convince the public that everything within the civil service is working well, when in fact good government is collapsing all around us.
During the time we battled hard to disclose the fraudulence within the Revenue/VOA and governmental complaint procedures, MPs with a spiv mentality were protecting scandalous parliamentary expense routines!
While it has been claimed that the ‘Green Book’ was devised in a thief’s kitchen, one must ask, can the Expenses Office be completely trusted after shredding Tony Blair’s potentially explosive receipts? It certainly seems that a group of deceitful MPs were operating within the Mother of Parliament, where self-serving MPs got together and ousted their dangerous opponent the appointed sleazbuster Elisabeth Filkins, she was got rid of rather brutally, they then filled their boots! Then the Police Commissioner Yates, investigating ‘peerages for sale’ was somewhat taken to task by a parliamentary select committee? ‘We know it goes on’ declared the committee? Really? Political corruption is endemic, we again mention that during our struggle we discovered that the ‘old pals act’ is more powerful than the ‘rule of law’.
It was at this time when dodgy MPs continued to shield their expenses, that I wrote to the then Minister Des Browne at MOD. I asked him if I, as an old vet could be put on a parliamentary gravy train, same as the loveable old rascal the Speaker. Because I, a former front-line soldier, a war pensioner, having disclosed corrupt acts was due to face Revenue barristers and lawyers as a result of this whistleblowing.
I felt that having put my head above the parapet for democracy I was more deserving of lawyers than the undeserving FOI abuser Speaker Martin? However, as an old vet, a war pensioner, I failed to obtain legal expenses from the MOD, but I battled on and wrote of the demise of the Mother of Parliament.
I wrote calling for probity amongst wholesale deceit; that I was sick to see my country going down the drain because of ineptitude of both ministers and civil servants.
We have long claimed the old pals act is more powerful than the ‘rule of law’! As a front line soldier I am hurt by the fact that the MOD has severe procurement disabilities; its frightening that MPs within parliament have allowed this monstrous MOD failure to exist for ages is indicative of how shallow parliament has become. To send soldiers to their deaths badly equipped, while many MPs were preoccupied with the ‘snouts in the trough’ expenses routine is treason. Then Ministers with affected solemnity claim how sorry parliament is for the latest deaths!
It is reported that there is some £800,000 of wine in Whitehall cellars paid by taxpayer? Laying up enormous quantities of good wine and the fleecing of public finances by many MPs indicates a Mafia like life style. Is this what fighting soldiers are defending, wine cellars and MPs expenses?
We have been protesting about corrupt government departments for many years and recently found the Reform Group who have echoed many of our claims regarding the corrupt public sector. A radical change is called for, and been promised, however, the fraudulent Speaker being moved to the Lords sounds like undeserved promotion with enormous perks fronted by the ‘old pals act’ - the squalor continues? There is another problem that occurs when one writes to a Minister or a department with complaints against staff, when a civil servant opens letters, there is a good chance they may be delayed or binned. Zenna Atkins tells how a critical email was passed between 58 civil servants to avoid embarrassing the boss, the whole episode took two-weeks no one seems to have cared about the contents of the email being delivered? Meanwhile many MPs concentrated on fiddling within the rules.
This particular story tells much about the decay within the running of parliament and the loss of the work ethic within many government depts. There are also accounts of unopened mail failing from cupboards? There are suspicious ‘gaffes’ that occur that prove beneficial to some civil servant?
We have become engulfed in an Orwellian structure where we have become shackled to political deceit, where Ministers and officials throw out careless statements and corrupt statistics like a drunk throws out care-free obscenities.
This is the ‘internal squalor’ that has grown like a cancer within government. We claim that complainants against public sector corruption are in need of ‘open courts’ to help circumnavigate the corrupt complaints procedures as handled by civil servants! Not one answer! We eventually joined a website.
In our pursuit of public sector corruption etc, we once complained to the MOJ in regard to stolen laptops etc within the department, we described how a Fagin figure might be operating within the MOJ, again we were calling for ‘probity within wholesale deceit’. It becomes somewhat debasing knowing that I have been informing the MOJ re Revenue corrupt acts against me, hoping for some justice; and now discover at least three MOJ ministers have had their fingers burnt in the expenses sleaze. There may be more? What chance did I have of having my claims re public sector corruption being investigated? For instance in addition to her ‘flipping’, Angela Eagles supported attempts to hide MPs expense claims. Whilst the greedy MOJ minister Shadim Malik fraudulently claimed some £66,000 on expenses – so my initial call re a Fagins den within the MOJ was not too far fetched! I was calling for probity within a culture of wholesale deceit!
David Cameron says it’s a dangerous time for all politics? I want him to know that it has been a harrowing dangerous time over many years for numerous citizens complaining about public sector corruption. The Balchins had to fight a bulwark of public sector deceit for some 12 years? The Parliamentary Ombudsman of the day only prolonged matters by covering for Ministers! There are many other long-drawn-out cases. The tragedy is, many abused members of the electorate are forced to give up on their complaints against government depts because of ‘purposeful’ public sector procrastination!
The Mother of Parliament has been turned into a discredited whorehouse by greedy indolent MPs unwilling to clean up the ‘inner squalor’.
AW & I Tanner now ashamed of the Mother of Parliament.