In many ways, Fiona is quite right to be fed up of talking about politicians’ expenses, if only because it has been such a sordid, drawn-out saga. This country does indeed face severe challenges which require prompt and decisive resolution, many of them economic and brought on by Gordon Brown’s deplorable mismanagement of the country’s finances over the past decade. But that does not make it right to suggest that the ongoing expenses scandal, which has been extensively covered by a gamut of media outlets and nowhere better than Ben Brogan’s new blog at the Telegraph, is an inconvenient side-story that is merely distracting attention from the broader issues. Rather, it is like a cancer at the heart of our democracy, entirely tainting all actions and all parties of this discredited Parliament. How can our politicians believe they still have any form of mandate to govern a country that they appear to have been fleecing for years? How can anybody be expected to trust a Government drawn mostly from a Parliament infested by mercenary rogues, and believe it capable of acting in anything but self-interest?
I believe strongly that Parliament contains a core of upstanding Members of scrupulous honesty and strong moral fibre. I am heartbroken for these Members that they have, through no direct fault of their own, seen their role reduced to nothing by the deplorable behaviour of their colleagues. However, I am also disappointed that too many satisfied themselves merely with keeping their own houses in order instead of decrying loudly and often the corruption of an expenses system that should never have been constructed and, in effect, policed by its own beneficiaries.
Our political system – indeed our very democracy – has rarely had greater need of strong and decisive leadership than at this moment, and rarely has it been so notable by its absence. We need to hear far more from those individuals in the House who are, in no small way, also victims of this incredible shame, be they our party leaders or our honest MPs. They should stand up and cry that this was utterly and uncondonably wrong, and that the full wrath of the electorate, and where necessary the law, be brought immediately to bear on the wrongdoers. They must demand, and be granted, complete transparency of this Parliament’s expenses, a prompt general election, and the installation of an independent expenses scheme along the principles set out by Fiona below. For without a newly-elected Parliament in which voters can install at least a modicum of trust, Britain’s broken democracy will move ever closer to the abyss of fleckless pluralism, with elections serving only to hide the unbridgeable gulf between the corrupt ruling elites and the everyday citizens.
Posted by Administrator on behalf of Anthony McDonald
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A quick counter-factual – have the Telegraph gone too far in making allegations? Have they sensationalised what were already damaging claims, and as a result undermined the fundamental rectitude of having published these receipts?
I believe they did absolutely the right thing. There are clearly vast numbers of claims which (while probably within the letter of very lax rules) were almost certainly not in the spirit, and definitely outside what non-politicians are able to put on expenses.
But, in leaving enough room for certain MPs to refute some of the allegations, is the Telegraph undermining its case?
What I find particularly interesting is the perspective from Romania. There, they are horrified by these revelations. The equivalent of their MPs are perhaps not noted for moral rectitude, but they do NOT fleece the taxpayer. In fact, one ex-Senator told me on my last visit that in his day our MPs depredations would have led to the firing squad.
Ridicule is the most dangerous reaction for politicians. Look at this
I note that the Sun is clearly following your lead:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/sun_says/article244723.ece
The calls for an election now seem to be getting louder by the day.