Tuesday 29 January 2008

Fathers and Sons

If the Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup paid money for years to his son for work the son was in no position to carry out, yet the son took the money, in what position does that place the son?

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

1. "payed" ??? Is this newspeak :-)

2. Possibly in receipt of stolen property - ie taxpayers' funds.

hatfield girl said...

Blogger won't even let me silently correct it, Nomad. Too much fresh air. I'll put it right asap. (though I suspect paid and payed could be substituted once).

If someone offers me piles of money to do something I'm not going to be able to do, and I take it, I'm in all sorts of difficulties.

Newmania said...

I wondered about that myself ...in a position of acute awkwardness especially as they have been living the life of the gentry on ill goten gains .

He has to go

Anonymous said...

"in what position does that place the son?"

You're looking at Hinks again. That is, theft under s1 Theft Act 1968. The only element in doubt is honesty. Was the fils dishonest when he took the money? I think that it will be difficult to prove he was dishonest unless he was 'in on it'. The majority of parents give money to their children when they are at University. If the son simply thought that he was receiving a gift like everyone else in his peer group then it would be wrong to level charges at him.

Anonymous said...

That of a thief! I presume such things are taught at Harrow. I cannot understand why the police haven't yet acted - would they be so slow with other suspected thefts. I doubt that he would be able to claim parliamentary privelege like his father.

One rule for the rich as they say!

hatfield girl said...

12.45
There are reports that there is a contract of employment. If so, son must have known what he was supposed to do, and where the money came from. And that the money was not a gift.
If a Hinks transfer, then it would be wrong just accepting such a sum of money, even if it became his property. No? Or would contracting to do something for it alter that. But he didn't, according to the report, do anything that justified the payment.

Are there others in these relations with members of parliament - accepting money in a Hinks' world?

(Law is infinitely, subtley difficult to think about; worse than economics).

hatfield girl said...

13.29
If, at work, I don't do the job I'm employed to do, I risk dismissal, but am I stealing? How little must I do to move, can I move, from not doing my job to stealing my wages?

hatfield girl said...

Go, certainly, N, but where? And should his son go with him?
He's brought his whole family under a shadow; it seems his wife is being paid by tax-funded allowances as well.

Electro-Kevin said...

This sort of nepotism should not be allowed at all within publicly funded bodies.

At least a father who'd started and nurtured a business has the right to see it fail if he chooses to employ people through favour rather than efficiency. The taxpayer, however, is owed a duty in that people on the public pay roll are to be properly selected - and aren't the sons and daughters of taxpayers allowed a fair chance of seeking this work too ?

This is without consideration to the criminality of this case. It is most certainly unethical of both father and son.

Electro-Kevin said...

I've a feeling that the offence is under the 1968 Theft Act, Obtaining a pecuniary advantage

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A580312

Falsely taking employment and pay.

A tarrif of 5 years imprisonment.

Newmania said...

Go to work at Tescos ? Why not ?

hatfield girl said...

It's quite hard to work for Tescos. Not least they are looking for no criminal record and a positive attitude to work.

Electro-Kevin said...

And Tescos have 'positive' racial/sexual discrimination in their recruitment in some areas too, don't forget.

hatfield girl said...

All this intervention in who can attend which school, work at what jobs, even be permitted to apply for what jobs, not by skill, qualification demonstrated by aptitude and examination success but by the arbitrary application of membership of a category.
It's just as unpleasant doing it by so-called racial group, gender, or age as it is by kinship connection or class. (and the discrimination by age goes for school as well. Organising learning by age cohort is a major contributer to under achievement).