Tavish in the news

[BigMouth]

I agree with BigMouth's sentiments here and I would like to point out that many people, doubtless including some on Shetlink, have to live on much less than £1000 a month. That said, the alternative for any MSP outwith commuting distance of Edinburgh is to claim for hotel bills, which, I am sure would be far higher than £1000 a month.

 

A typical Princes Street hotel - single room and breakfast £65 per night - £2,015 per month for every day of a 31 day month, so let's say 20 days = £1,300. Bus to hotel from Airport £5 return. How often is T over there? 8 days a month? £520 then.

 

The figures no longer add up and it turns out to be just another huge benefit of which our "representatives" need to be ashamed. If they are not in it for the profit then why not give ALL the profit to a local charity?

 

There is a certain irony that there are organisations in Shetland who pay their staff less than a £1,000 per month who when they send their staff on courses to the mainland will not even meet the whole of the £65 per night cost so the employee has to make up the shortfall and then the employee can wait up to two months to get the money that they can claim back.

[junior]

Or for that £500 he could rent a cheap flat for the whole month.

 

Or for £600 he could pay the mortgage on a cheap flat.

[JustMe]

BigMouth wrote

A typical Princes Street hotel - single room and breakfast £65 per night - £2,015 per month for every day of a 31 day month, so let's say 20 days = £1,300. Bus to hotel from Airport £5 return. How often is T over there? 8 days a month? £520 then.

 

I think that as a minister Tavish probably averages more like 16 days a month in Edinburgh which makes buying fairly comparable to using a hotel and at least he has somewhere to call home in the Capital rather than using a succession of hotel rooms.

 

And as Tavish has said, he complies fully with the rules as laid out by the executive. Maybe the rules do need changing. Could the executive build an apartment block for MSPs.......or would that also be an architects dream and cost £400 million?.

 

And please let us remember that being an MSP is not all fun.......and while we might fancy a return flight to Edinburgh I suspect the fun of that soon fades.

[Mia]

Ooooooooo bad boy Tavish!!!

 

It really pisses me off that MSP's can get away with spending tax payers money on thier rent!!

 

Do they not get paid??

 

I would love to buy my flat in edinburgh but can I afford it, no, instead I have to pay tax so that Tavish can buy himself a massive flat in probally Marchmont or Mornigside.

 

 

[moorit]

I think that as a minister Tavish probably averages more like 16 days a month in Edinburgh which makes buying fairly comparable to using a hotel and at least he has somewhere to call home in the Capital rather than using a succession of hotel rooms.

 

And as Tavish has said, he complies fully with the rules as laid out by the executive. Maybe the rules do need changing. Could the executive build an apartment block for MSPs.......or would that also be an architects dream and cost £400 million?.

 

And please let us remember that being an MSP is not all fun.......and while we might fancy a return flight to Edinburgh I suspect the fun of that soon fades.

 

He maybe complies with the rules, but I would say he is taking more than full advantage of them, and it is morally wrong.

[Mia]

I may of missed something but can anyone tell me if the flat that Tavish made £36,000 on was in Edinburgh?

[Njugle]

Mr Scott's comments came after what he described as unbalanced reporting by BBC community station Radio Shetland, on Wednesday night.

 

A spokesman for BBC Scotland, in Glasgow, said last night that Mr Scott had made them aware of his views. "We are looking into the matter and will respond in due course," he said.

 

Oops! I just noticed that. That's right Mr Scott, attack is the best form of defence. Any attacks on the paper that ran the story too?

[Shoogler]

Christ what a bunch of reactionary morons on this thread. None of you have the facts but you are happy to wade in on the back of some sensationalist headlines. How do you know what the man pays for a mortgage on a £380,000 house in Edinburgh? I bet any money it is more than the maximum allowance available. What right do any of you have to pass judgement on his personal circumstances, regards who he lives with or what arrangements he makes to see his children?

Who the hell would want to put up with the live of an MSP given the amount of crap they face in the Scottish (and local) media. It's not exactly the best paid job going. A tug master at Sullom Voe is on substantially more basic wage than him, and gets more time off.

Do you reckon travelling back and forth every week between Shetland and Edinburgh is a jolly? Even better when you get 'home' for the weekend and are still on duty as well as being subjected to the media sprootle. What chance a normal family live in those circumstances>

 

What a bunch of morons. Get your facts right before you start to back the agenda of some career hungry hack in Glasgow. It will be interesting to see what the BBC make of the Radio Shetland coverage also.

[trout]

^^ from being the poor "hack" moderator pulling in links to this story ... well there you go. Have to agree with the above post though! I'm not in allegiance with the political party either!!

[clanchief]

[quote]I may of missed something but can anyone tell me if the flat that Tavish made £36,000 on was in Edinburgh?[/quote]

I think that it was in London Street , Edinburgh

[Claudias]

Christ what a bunch of reactionary morons on this thread. None of you have the facts but you are happy to wade in on the back of some sensationalist headlines. How do you know what the man pays for a mortgage on a £380,000 house in Edinburgh? I bet any money it is more than the maximum allowance available. What right do any of you have to pass judgement on his personal circumstances, regards who he lives with or what arrangements he makes to see his children?

Who the hell would want to put up with the live of an MSP given the amount of crap they face in the Scottish (and local) media. It's not exactly the best paid job going. A tug master at Sullom Voe is on substantially more basic wage than him, and gets more time off.

Do you reckon travelling back and forth every week between Shetland and Edinburgh is a jolly? Even better when you get 'home' for the weekend and are still on duty as well as being subjected to the media sprootle. What chance a normal family live in those circumstances>

 

What a bunch of morons. Get your facts right before you start to back the agenda of some career hungry hack in Glasgow. It will be interesting to see what the BBC make of the Radio Shetland coverage also.

 

Considering the above,why do so many thousands of candidates put their names forward for election each time? Is it for the glory or for the perks?

[BigMouth]

Glory, glory, glory .... no probably the perks. Anyway no-one forces them to stand. They know the score - it's up to them.

 

Personally I think that it shows poor judgement at best and milking the system at worst.

[junior]

Christ what a bunch of reactionary morons on this thread. None of you have the facts but you are happy to wade in on the back of some sensationalist headlines.

 

If its in the Scotsman and the Herald I generally believe it. Maybe I'm wrong to. Has it been denied

 

How do you know what the man pays for a mortgage on a £380,000 house in Edinburgh?

 

I don't. Whats relevant is that tax payers contribution to it

 

What right do any of you have to pass judgement on his personal circumstances...

 

As far as I can see no-one has. He made the decision to claim X pounds of tax payers money a month for reasons I can't justify. That is a decision made in his professional life, nothing personal. As Tavish says "making a case for a review [of the allowance scheme] is fair".

 

It's not exactly the best paid job going.

 

Its not the worst either.

 

Do you reckon travelling back and forth every week between Shetland and Edinburgh is a jolly?

 

Not at all. I don't envy him, but, as has been said, he knew what he was getting into when he stood for the position.

 

What a bunch of morons.

 

F**k you to fanny baws

[Shoogler]

What a bunch of morons.

 

F**k you to fanny baws

 

 

I rest my case.

[Njugle]

Well Shoogler, you can rest your case if you like, but perhaps it would be more constructive to explain more of how the system works to those who you feel are ignorant of the subject and worthy of branding as morons.

I'm not defending junior's vernacular, but the name calling preceded his post.

 

Confident ignorance may be irritating, but the more valued approach in dealing with it is that of education or discussion, not dismissal. In my humble opinion.

 

It's good to share, as they say.

 

Probably very few of the general public have a comprehensive understanding of this situation. If i understood it fully i would do my best to clarify thing, as it is i can only comment on the unusual situation of Mr Scott querying the bias of the local media, which doesn't happen often.