I am frankly horrified by the attitude of some MPs in the papers this morning – they happen to be Conservatives but I’m quite sure it’s not restricted to them. Nicholas Winterton saying “I see nothing unethical or wrong… I happen to rent a property that I bought outright”. Derek Conway saying “I am not a crook” (somehow, I get the feeling that if you need to say that, you may well have broken the law somewhere).
There is an argument to be had about the level and scope of salaries, expenses and outside interests. Personally, I’d be happy to start off with something along the lines of:
- Fewer MPs
- Higher salaries (as Alistair argued a couple of weeks ago)
- No paid outside interests (but of course unpaid positions would be allowed, with proper scrutiny after resignation/defeat if the former MP took up paid employment)
- Publication of detailed expenses (as Ben Wallace has done this morning)
- Relatives permitted to be employed, but more stringent oversight of the work they do
There will be other items that need to be cleared up but that seems to me to be a good place to start. I don’t think that all politicians are corrupt – far from it. But the perception is there and it’s not good enough.
If MPs want to hold their place of work above the law by arguing that the judgement of the Commons takes supremacy above all, it’s time they take a good hard look at themselves and decide whether they are actually worthy of that trust. If they don’t want to abide by the same laws as the rest of us, then they need to behave a lot better than this.
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Very well said.
Personally, I would like to see a bar on ALL outside interests, but a huge increase in salaries for fewer MPS – and if they were rubbish ( as many of them are) they get ejecyed well within the lifetime of a parliament.
Quite right Fifi, I personally believe these MP’s are a bunch of bearded clams. Their whinging sounds to me like old rusty trombones. Of course they should be provided with a hot lunch but no more.