As someone deeply involved in politics, I have been following every piece of news about the expenses scandal and, like most Harlow voters, find it deeply depressing. As a Parliamentary Candidate, I get no wages or expenses from the taxpayer - or the Conservative Party - and have been amazed to learn of some of the things that MPs from all parties have been claiming for. A Duck Island, fake mortgages, interior designers, tax accountants etc. etc. It is almost unbelievable.
There is something deeply rotten at Westminster, that so many MPs thought that they could get away with these things for so long. Moreover, all of this has happened at a time, when people are suffering more than ever because of the broken economy. How can it be that some venal MPs have been able to cushion themselves against the economic hardships, faced by so many people?
It has been my dream to be an MP since I was a child. As a boy, I would often go to Parliament and watch comings and goings. I had a romantic view of Westminster with its ancient building and what I thought were its honourable traditions and eccentric ways. I always wanted a chance to serve my country and a constituency such as Harlow. To help people with their problems, particularly the most disadvantaged, whilst having a serious platform (the Commons) in which one could campaign on relevant local issues - as well as other things that I care about such as education, housing, literacy, the rise of extreme Islamism, and mass genocide.
I have to admit that over the last three weeks, my romanticism about Parliament and MPs has taken a severe knock. Can MPs who have milked and abused their expenses, really be called Honourable Members? Do we have a Parliament of which we can be proud - of which once was the envy of the world? I think not. I almost dread watching the news and hearing about the latest scandal.
If there is some good to come out of all this, it certainly won't be achieved just by tightening up the system of expenses and allowances - although of course this needs to happen. Much deeper reform is needed to return Parliament back to the people and to re-engage voters with politics.
For a start, there should be many more free votes for MPs , so they can vote according to their conscience and what is best for their constituency, rather than do what they are told by the party. MPs should not be demonised if they rebel against their party policies.
Second, MPs who have been proven to be corrupt, or have abused Parliament, should be sanctioned by the Speaker. Not only should they lose their salaries, but the Speaker should be able to give permission for voters in the Constituency to collect signatures for an instant by-election. If over 50% of signatures are collected, a by-election would occur.
Third, Parliament needs to be much stronger. The reason why our economy is broken and our public services in decay is because Gordon Brown and Tony Blair had such a big majority in the Commons, they were able to do whatever they wanted without significant checks and balances. The result is disaster. We now live in a country of high debt, high unemployment and high taxes, with huge problems affecting our hospitals, policing, schools and transport system. MPs need to have more power to challenge Government.
Fourth, we should attempt to re-engage voters in politics, by making the House of Lords democratic and 50 percent of the Lords Chamber, handed over to the people. Every voter would be given a pin number in which they could vote on legislation currently before the Lords, with the voting and information being supplied on the Internet. In order not to undermine the legitimacy of the House of Commons, the Lords would still only have amending and delaying power, with the final decision being taken by the Commons.
Fifth, we should scrap all these ridiculous regional quangos and unelected assemblies - many of which are a huge waste of taxpayer's money. All the powers they have, should be pushed down to local Council level. Other Government powers that are not essential to national security and the national economy should also be devolved to local councils. Local people should have more chances to organise referenda on key issues of the day.
Sixth, we should stop handing our powers to Brussels. The Lisbon Treaty (the new European Constitution) is unacceptable). Parliament should have control over its laws and not keep ceding its powers to the European Union, which is far too unaccountable, unwieldy, and too often acts against the best interests of Britain. What is the point of having a Parliament, if we don't control our own affairs?
The expenses scandal gives politicians a real chance to reform Parliament, increase voter participation and elect MPs who are truly honourable men and women. There is a great opportunity here. Lets not miss it.
There is something deeply rotten at Westminster, that so many MPs thought that they could get away with these things for so long. Moreover, all of this has happened at a time, when people are suffering more than ever because of the broken economy. How can it be that some venal MPs have been able to cushion themselves against the economic hardships, faced by so many people?
It has been my dream to be an MP since I was a child. As a boy, I would often go to Parliament and watch comings and goings. I had a romantic view of Westminster with its ancient building and what I thought were its honourable traditions and eccentric ways. I always wanted a chance to serve my country and a constituency such as Harlow. To help people with their problems, particularly the most disadvantaged, whilst having a serious platform (the Commons) in which one could campaign on relevant local issues - as well as other things that I care about such as education, housing, literacy, the rise of extreme Islamism, and mass genocide.
I have to admit that over the last three weeks, my romanticism about Parliament and MPs has taken a severe knock. Can MPs who have milked and abused their expenses, really be called Honourable Members? Do we have a Parliament of which we can be proud - of which once was the envy of the world? I think not. I almost dread watching the news and hearing about the latest scandal.
If there is some good to come out of all this, it certainly won't be achieved just by tightening up the system of expenses and allowances - although of course this needs to happen. Much deeper reform is needed to return Parliament back to the people and to re-engage voters with politics.
For a start, there should be many more free votes for MPs , so they can vote according to their conscience and what is best for their constituency, rather than do what they are told by the party. MPs should not be demonised if they rebel against their party policies.
Second, MPs who have been proven to be corrupt, or have abused Parliament, should be sanctioned by the Speaker. Not only should they lose their salaries, but the Speaker should be able to give permission for voters in the Constituency to collect signatures for an instant by-election. If over 50% of signatures are collected, a by-election would occur.
Third, Parliament needs to be much stronger. The reason why our economy is broken and our public services in decay is because Gordon Brown and Tony Blair had such a big majority in the Commons, they were able to do whatever they wanted without significant checks and balances. The result is disaster. We now live in a country of high debt, high unemployment and high taxes, with huge problems affecting our hospitals, policing, schools and transport system. MPs need to have more power to challenge Government.
Fourth, we should attempt to re-engage voters in politics, by making the House of Lords democratic and 50 percent of the Lords Chamber, handed over to the people. Every voter would be given a pin number in which they could vote on legislation currently before the Lords, with the voting and information being supplied on the Internet. In order not to undermine the legitimacy of the House of Commons, the Lords would still only have amending and delaying power, with the final decision being taken by the Commons.
Fifth, we should scrap all these ridiculous regional quangos and unelected assemblies - many of which are a huge waste of taxpayer's money. All the powers they have, should be pushed down to local Council level. Other Government powers that are not essential to national security and the national economy should also be devolved to local councils. Local people should have more chances to organise referenda on key issues of the day.
Sixth, we should stop handing our powers to Brussels. The Lisbon Treaty (the new European Constitution) is unacceptable). Parliament should have control over its laws and not keep ceding its powers to the European Union, which is far too unaccountable, unwieldy, and too often acts against the best interests of Britain. What is the point of having a Parliament, if we don't control our own affairs?
The expenses scandal gives politicians a real chance to reform Parliament, increase voter participation and elect MPs who are truly honourable men and women. There is a great opportunity here. Lets not miss it.
By Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering. http//roberthalfon.blogspot.com
Well said, Rob, I totally agree with you.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you've just seen the following article by BBC Ecomony Editor, Stephanie Flanders?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/stephanieflanders/2009/05/count_it_dont_follow_it.html
I've just made an official complaint to the BBC about Flanders' misrepresentation of David Cameron's housing expenses.
The following is a copy of my complaint to the BBC:
ReplyDeleteI wish to complain about the above article by Stephanie Flanders which I believe misrepresents, by failing to mention, the disability based, special housing needs of David Cameron's family. Ms Flanders' article should have stated that the larger property required by these special needs would necessitate a higher claim for housing expenses and that this higher claim would be beyond Mr Cameron's control.
Part of Ms Flanders' article states:
"For example, some have said it was unfair that MPs such as David Cameron have escaped criticism for claiming the maximum allowance each year, because their claims were almost entirely made up of mortgage interest and utility bills. Whereas other MPs, possibly with similar necessary expenses, have made much smaller claims, yet faced criticism for the details. David Cameron could be spending his allowance on underground swimming pools and platinum cycle helmets. All we know is that he has utility bills and mortgage interest to pay of more than £20,000 a year."
It is surely disingenuous for the BBC's economist and Economics editor to treat Cameron's position as equivalent to that of most other MPs when it so clearly was not.
When Ms Flanders attacks David Cameron's mortgage claim she fails to mention that he had no choice but to purchase a larger than average home to accomodate the extensive adaptations needed to meet the special needs of his severely disabled son, Ivan, adaptations which I've read included a unit for his son and his carers and nurses. Why is there no mention of these special housing needs in this article?
I've read - on BBC News online - that Ivan needed 24 hour, day and night care and that Cameron and his wife and other carers slept in Ivan's rooms, which were part treatment suite, part bedroom and play room. The BBC's report of Ivan's recent sad death:
"Mr Cameron is expected to return to Westminster early next week. The family faces a difficult return to the London home they had extensively adapted to help them to care for Ivan."
Such misrepresentation is tantamount to the BBC smearing David Cameron and I believe that Ms Flanders and the BBC owe David Cameron an apology for this.