Britain slips to new low in ranking of most corrupt countries after MPs' expenses scandal

Britain slips to new low in ranking of most corrupt countries after MPs' expenses scandal

www.telegraph.co.uk

The annual “corruption index” from Transparency International - which has been published since 1995 - found that Britain had slipped one place to 17th out of 180 countries.
The UK is now more corrupt than countries like Japan, Hong Kong, Luxembourg and Austria. Transparency International gave the UK a Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) score of 7.7. Before 2008, the UK's score had never slipped below 8.

(visit the link for the full news article)


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Now this is an interesting story. Actually talking about corrupt countries.

Now we should have a list of the most "Corrupt Politicians" in our own countries. Now that would be a list I would be interested in reading. We can put it in Forbes along with the World's Most Influential People where they had Columbian Drug Lords. Maybe a list like that would for more transparencies...

www.telegraph.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

Top Ten List

Rank Country Score
1 New Zealand 9.4 Related
2 Denmark 9.3
3= Singapore 9.2
3= Sweden 9.2
5 Switzerland 9.0
6=Finland 8.9
6= Netherlands 8.9
8=Australia 8.7
8= Canada 8.7
8= Iceland 8.7

Source

I'm actually surprised the U.S. doesn't rank higher on this list...

Thd index was calculated using surveys of residents and business leaders, assessments from experts, as well as information from bodies including the Economist Intelligence Unit, Global Insight and the World Bank.

Source
[edit on 11/17/2009 by x2Strongx]

[edit on 11/17/2009 by x2Strongx]

Its funny the amount of folks in the UK who will stand up for our country and say things like"OOOh but we do not have a corrupt government like India or China.."
We blatantly do,but maybe people do not see it as its better hidden in our media than the likes of China or India.
Look at the way they have there own word for propaganda in the UK gov.-they call it "SPIN"and it hides the truth from the masses very nicley thank you.
If the Indian/Chinese governments had methods as sophisticated as the UK government,then maybe they wouldn't be known as being corrupt either.
If you look at how we dump our toxic waste in the 3rdworld,wage illegal wars(Iraq)or kick whole communities out of their island home(Diego Garcia)then the UK should be higher up the list I think.

But hell no-the UK government are not corrupt-they wear suits!

Far be it from me to actually defend the British, but when it comes to fraud and corruption they are exemplary compared to the crap that goes on in other first world nations, most notably my own.

MPs fiddling their expenses, and even the Neil Hamilton debacle, hardly rates alongside the likes of Abramoff and Cunningham here in the US.

The Brits may have major social issues, but fraud just isn't their bag baby.

Originally posted by x2Strongx

I'm actually surprised the U.S. doesn't rank higher on this list...

[edit on 11/17/2009 by x2Strongx]

Living here in the states I am actually surprised it ranked as high as it did. It is a sad, sad state of affairs in the world, if the US being as corrupt as it is has ranked as high as it has.

What I take from this is that no government other than maybe those in the top ten should be trusted, they are all corrupt.

bad analogy but- just because the guy standing next to you weighs 400 Lbs does not mean that you weighing 350 Lbs makes you any less obese.

I'm just utterly surprised we scored that high in the first place

I take comfort in some Orwellian words from 1941.

England is the most class-ridden country under the sun. It is a land of snobbery and privilege, ruled largely by the old and silly.

A family with the wrong members in control – that, perhaps, is as near as one can come to describing England in a phrase.

George Orwell, England Your England: Feb 1941

Originally posted by thoughtsfull
I'm just utterly surprised we scored that high in the first place

I take comfort in some Orwellian words from 1941.

England is the most class-ridden country under the sun. It is a land of snobbery and privilege, ruled largely by the old and silly.

A family with the wrong members in control – that, perhaps, is as near as one can come to describing England in a phrase.

George Orwell, England Your England: Feb 1941

Grandpa may well have been in control when Orwell wrote that in 1941, but these days I think it's the teenagers who run Britain.

reply to post by Silcone Synapse


So many people i talk to think the UK are the good guys who simply make bad decisions from time to time. Or they blame a certain political party...but when you look Britain and it's actions for just 50 years or so you can see that it is by no means from time to time. We are a constant evil force in the world regarding our foreign policy. Okay maybe a bit dramatic but we are no angels. As for corruption, UK MP's may be bad...but Brussels and MEP's make Westminster look insignificant in terms of corruption and expenses. Yet the UK media doesn't touch it. Not as much as they should anyway.

[edit on 17-11-2009 by Solomons]

Originally posted by Desolate Cancer
Living here in the states I am actually surprised it ranked as high as it did. It is a sad, sad state of affairs in the world, if the US being as corrupt as it is has ranked as high as it has.

Have you traveled abroad much ? The US may seem corrupt, but it's got nothing on most countries. Mexico is the most corrupt I've personally seen. Although I see this org rates places like Russia even worse than Mexico.

media.transparency.org...


edit: looks like Afghanistan takes the cake. More corrupt than Nigeria !



[edit on 17-11-2009 by Schaden]

reply to post by Retseh


I'd prefer it if the teenagers did run this asylum, since it would be at least moving in a forward direction..

Edit to add that I worked in the City for some of the big boys including the BoE, they still play their little games as they have for centuries.


[edit on 17/11/09 by thoughtsfull]

reply to post by Schaden


I have traveled abroad and am well aware of the ample levels of corruption. That was just my point, that considering what I know intimately well about corruption in the states and how it ranked as well as it did (by this list anyway) that it just disgusts me to think how the vast majority of the world is so corrupt.

Go to Mexico expect to be shaken down by the police for several hundred for being to light skinned, go to eastern Europe expect to have to pay several thousand to a local bureaucrat to get any business done.

Conclusion is governments of the world are corrupt and not to be trusted.

It's about time the rest of the world knew how corrupt this country is.

I'm sure many do already...that's why they exploit it for their own personal gain.. and fair play to them too. If it is obvious that this UK government is corrupt then what's the harm in being just as corrupt within its borders to better yourself.. everyone else does, except for those who are born here, have been brainwashed and forced into a slave wage system...

Just today in Plymouth city centre there were some officials from the local council asking the public their views and opinions on how the council is doing and where the public think the council could improve..

I am pleased to announce that the general public seems to be very annoyed by the lack of care and understanding the council has.. it is obviously geared towards corporate profits rather than what's good for the public or communities.. .

They had a board which had a sticker placed in seperate sections..
ie; needs to improve, no need to change and doing ok...

Needs to improve was the most ticked section in all areas but one.. which was only no need to change..

I had a great time telling the council official my view points and opinions.

After living in the Philippines, I felt safer and more free there than i do in my own country. I could have been kidnapped by rebels in the Philippines but that would have been a great adventure in compariosn to getting a kicking from a bunch of drunk yobs on the streets of your home town.

I'd rather buy a pirated copy of a game or film from an official shop in a shopping mall in the Philippines than be forced to pay extortionate prices here in the UK.

And the price of petrol is about to go up in the UK soon too..

This country needs to have a complete change..

Huh! MP’s expenses was a Daily Telegraph non-story engineered to keep our minds away from the real thing: the UK bank bailouts and the fact that these banks – despite the hoohah - paid hefty bonuses to executives in April/May. This was the real scandal.

Firstly – the whole amount in dispute, for all 650 MPs and over the four years from 2004-2008, is only equivalent to the bonus paid to a single mid-range trader/bank executive in one year

Secondly – there were/are no criminal prosecutions. Not one. Apparently, there is very little evidence, and a very strong ‘issue of doubt’ factor. And yet we are supposed to take it seriously?!

Ironically for a Tory supporting paper, the whole non-story would have quickly disappeared down the pan with the rest of their Strictly Come Dancing/ X-Factor poo were it not for the antics of some members of the….wait for it….. Tory Party, who managed to claim for duck-houses, moats and other whimsical items not on the radar of the common man. In fact, Gordon Brown and the Labour Party can thank the Telegraph for their sterling work in reminding the electorate that the Tories are a ‘party of sleaze’ catering only for the likes of Lord Snooty and his pals. Note to Telegraph proprietor: Doh!!

Sigh. What a load of twaddle.