Over at the Mirror, crusading Lib Dem MP Norman Baker writes (briefly) about the damage that the ‘drip, drip, drip of stories about MPs’ expenses’ is doing to Parliament. Here’s an excerpt (actually, it’s pretty much the whole piece):
We can’t continue to have revelations that the public find so shocking. Jacqui Smith’s homes are a prime example. It’s not acceptable that she can claim her main home is her sister’s spare room. Saying it is within the rules is not good enough. House of Commons officials must be able to veto MPs’ declarations. They need to ask questions like where do MPs spend most nights, where do their families live and where do they spend their holidays. We need to get to the stage where everything is out in the open – and acceptable to the public at large.
You can read the full article by clicking here.
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2 Comments
Like a banker expecting his bonus, Ms Smith has settled into the habit of giving herself the benefit of the equivocation.
Thanks to Norman Baker for putting this in clear terms. “We need to get to the stage where everything is out in the open – and acceptable to the public at large.”
It is insulting that our politicians treat us like fools – the stories told about the living arrangements are laughable.
Jacqui Smith and others who abuse their positions should not be part of our government.
It is unacceptable that schools go under-funded, the elderly neglected and so many in society simply making ends meet – whilst our politicians shave every last (legal or otherwise) perk they can.
I think of the Hospices crying out for funding, the councils that cannot provide adequate provision for our most needy and then I hear again of waste in government – I need to know how to object more loudy.