The main news for the last couple of months has been dominated by MPs expenses. Various party leaders are in the news talking about what they are going to do to redress the situation and bring back confidence in our elected representatives.
Let's just go back, the current elected government has been in power for over ten years. Why if the system was so wrong did they do nothing about it? Why wait till they have been caught with their hands in the till to suddenly take the bull by the horns and call for reform? Talk about missing the boat.
My reaction to this expenses scandal falls into two parts.
First, there is the complete "taking the piss" from various members of parliament, these are often back-benchers. One could argue that this comes from misinterpretation of the rules and MPs believing that the expense budget is a salary top-up, for MPs are underpaid compared to other walks of life or public sector pay. However what I am referring to is the John Lewis list, the Duck houses and that type of expense.
If what we are led to believe about the apparent "understanding" between the fees office and MPs, how these expenses where an unspoken salary top-up, I can understand how some MPs have come to claim for what they have. It does not excuse them or make it right but it reinforces the need for change and transparency and brings back to the table the fact that an honest conversation about MPs pay and expenses needs to be had. We do not want to leave the door open for bribery or corruption, or even treason for the sake of money and pay. MPs need to earn a decent salary if we are to attract a different breed of people, the salary needs to be compared to similar positions in both the public and private sector.
Second, what really gets me going more are the cases of clear fraud: avoiding paying capital gains tax on properties, MPs changing primary residence to be able to claim for works on a property, in other words playing the property market - with our money. First, when do they have the time to do this? Second, this is fraud and any MPs who has been found to play the system should face a Police investigation. It is all very good saying sorry but that is not enough.
It seems to be MPs from the ruling party and even Cabinet members who seem most guilty of this sort of corruption and crime.
MPs who are standing down should do so now and not wait till the next general election, they have lost any moral authority they had and need to go now. The right to recall should be passed into law.
Employing members of one's family should also be looked into.
As for reforms, they are needed, but why is it taking so long for proposals to be implemented? Talk is very good but action is needed.
Constitutional reforms and proportional representation.
If I look at my local general election results for 2005 as an example.
We have a registered electorate around 70.000 voters.
In the last general election of 2005, the turnout was around 39,000 which is 56%.
Labour won with 16,579 votes, 41%.
The other parties combined had over 24,000 votes.
So more people voted against our current MP than for him, to me this is wrong.
The "first past the post" rule is unfair and we need to look at other systems.
A very basic proposal for change is that to win outright you have to have more than 50% of the vote; if no one wins more that 50% of the vote then we have a second round of voting a week later. What could be simpler than this! Than at least most of the electorate would feel like their vote counts and that they can make a difference.
Let's face it, Britain's political system is probably one of the most transparent in the world, but this is no excuse, we should be whiter than white if we want to be recognized as a leading democracy - we need to sort out our electoral system.
As for any minister who has been found to have fiddled their expenses, they should be sacked immediately. Because of their added responsibilities and so-called moral standing they have no excuses: Darling, Blear, Hoon and others have no option but to resign immediately.
MPs who go and have been found out to have fiddled the system should leave with a reduced or even zero golden handshake or retirement package, for if you are found to have committed fraud in the private sector you get much more than just the sack, you go to prison.
Until this is sorted out the summer recess is out of the question.
It is time for change and not time for change in a year or two, the rules must change now.
Rollo Miles
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Monday, 1 June 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
