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Time to stop making allowances
EVER wondered why MPs have such long
summer holidays?
No it's not a joke, it's all
to do with history. In Victorian times, the
River Thames was an open sewer, so in summertime
the smell made Westminster a pretty unpleasant
and unhealthy place to be.
Keen to look
after Number One - no change there, I hear you
say - the MPs got out of town until the heat died
down.
I mention this as there's currently a bigger stink
coming from the Mother of Parliaments than ever
rose from the fetid waters of Father Thames. It's
the row over MPs' expenses and the decision - the
foolish, doomed decision - to ride roughshod over
the Freedom of Information Act and refuse to
make them public.
Now here's a surprise. I think MPs should be
paid more than their current £61,280. I believe
most of them need two homes - be they ever so
humble - to do their Parliamentary and constituency
jobs properly. What they don't need and
we should no longer tolerate is a system open to
abuse by the unscrupulous among them.
That abuse makes me, and should make you,
very angry. I feel personally affronted by what's
going on. As an elected Mayor, I have to count myself
as a member of the establishment, albeit a
reluctant and sometimes rebellious one. I try to
act honestly and honourably in public life and
know that the rest of my colleagues in councils
up and down the country, elected members and
salaried officials do the same. They would no more
milk the system than they would try to flog the
Transporter Bridge to a passing tourist.
Yet it's these same decent people who will be
hearing the sneers in the street, at the match, at
their ward surgery or the supermarket, the snide
remarks that we're all the same, all in it for what
we can get.
They're the ones who, when the Minister for
This-or-That pops up and asks why people are apathetic
about politics, will have to bite their
tongue rather than say, actually it's because of the
disillusion and cynicism that your behaviour has
allowed to breed and fester.
The second reason of course, is why we're all
angry. This is our money and these people are our
servants. The rules on Parliamentary spending
are so lax that receipts only have to be produced
if the bill tops £250. Well. I am sorry, in my ledger
book, and I suspect yours, £250 isn't something
you lose down the side of the settee. It's a lot of
money and we want to see every penny accounted
for.
The Parliamentary authorities have hired an
up-market solicitor to defend their decision. In
court, they'll have a well-fed barrister to argue
their case.
Well, I don't have a brass plate on my office door,
or letters after my name. When I argue the toss, I
don't wear knee-breeches and a horsehair wig. I
bet that's a relief to you all.
But I know something about the highest court
in the land - the court of public opinion. It's one
which all democratically-elected individuals have
to appear. So here's my advice to the honourable
members - by the way it's free and every bit as
good as anything you'll find in John Lewis.
Tell us how much of our money you are spending
and what you're spending it on because we
have a right to know. Treat us like adults. Give us
some answers and respect. In return, we'll have
an honest debate about what your contribution to
the community is really worth. Who knows, the
answer - like my comments on your salary - may
come as a pleasant surprise.
But if you don't, it may be that next time you
ask for our support we will decide you need a holiday
every bit as long as the ones your Victorian
forebears enjoyed. A permanent holiday in fact,
but one not taken at our expense.
9:05am Friday 28th March 2008
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CommentPosted by: Joan Mctigue, Middlesbrough on 11:31am Thu 17 Apr 08
It's not just the fact that receipts should be given when claiming expenses - it's the expenses themselves which are wrong in the first place - at least some of them. Tony Blair was allowed to claim fo his TV license (how many more did the same) - I know OAP's on my ward who have to save up out of their weekly pension to pay this & these people have probably voted Labour all their lives - in ignorance of such facts.
It's not just the fact that receipts should be given when claiming expenses - it's the expenses themselves which are wrong in the first place - at least some of them. Tony Blair was allowed to claim fo his TV license (how many more did the same) - I know OAP's on my ward who have to save up out of their weekly pension to pay this & these people have probably voted Labour all their lives - in ignorance of such facts.
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