What Should the Rules be for MPs? Guest Article Series
I wrote about The “Parliamentary Pay Pantomime” just after New Year on the Wardman Wire. I raised some questions, and - following Dave Cole - suggested a linkage with national average incomes between elections, with reviews at Election Time.
Since then, we have seen more questions raised, in the Conway affair, and now a list of other cases (courtesy of Guido). Some of them are quite eyebrow-raising.
Everyone agrees that we need more transparency - but how?
Time to Do Some Thinking
This week we are trying to think through some new ideas, so I’ve organised an “online symposium”. There will be an article published each day by a different guest poster - from different viewpoints.
This is the brief I circulated:
“I wondered if you would be interested in penning an article for the WW this week about the Parliamentary MPs expenses etc. setup and how it should be revised.
I thought it would be good to do a series from different viewpoints.”
At present we have four participants in the symposium.
Me (Matt Wardman) - from the Centre Right.
I will be arguing for a narrowing of Parliamentary privilege over financial matters, so that I’d like to see the arrangents for politicians be as close as possible to those experienced by the normal population. I see that as a way to bring more sanity into some aspects of the ordinary system, as well as making our politicians more transparent as a route to restored confidence.
Dave Cole of davecole.org - who is left-leaning
Dave did some interesting analysis in early January. He will be revisiting the subject.
“That sounds like fun.”
Gavin Whenman from Gavin’s Gaily Gigest
Gavin is a Lib Dem - and will imminently gain the nickcame “Lord Charles” if he is not careful - will be arguing for the status quo. Note this is because someone should, not because he necessarily agrees with it.
He also contributes to a Politics Podcast.
“Would it be possible to pen an article arguing for the status quo? It’s not necessarily something I believe in this particular, but there is a case to be made that the best form of regulation for publicly elected officials is the ballot box, and in fact (half-jokingly) Derek Conway has helped to drive up turnout in elections by encouraging public accountability.”
Garbo - of The Poliblogs
Garbo is always entirely impartial and fair. Usually.
“I propose taking it all out of the hands of MPs and having an administration body do everything.”
To come
There will be contributions to the series from others, including Councillor Tony Sharp and Tim Ireland. I will add others here as they accept offers to contribute.
Wrapping-up
The aim is for the first article to be out this afternoon - but it will depend when they get to me.
If you would like to contribute to the series, drop me a line - I’m happy to keep this running for some time as it is important.
Tags: parliamentary pay, additional costs allowance, mp salary, mp wages, derek conway, peter hain[tags]parliamentary pay, additional costs allowance, mp salary, mp wages, derek conway, peter hain[/tags]
Article Series - House Rules for Parliament
- What Should the Rules be for MPs? Guest Article Series
- Independent Administration Needed for MPs (Garbo): House Rules for Parliament II
- Light on the Scene, An Amnesty, and then Transparency (Dave Cole): House Rules for Parliament III
- Simplify the System (Cllr Tony Sharp): House Rules for Parliament IV
- Keep the Status Quo: House Rules for Parliament V
- Research expenses: audits and timekeeping (Tim Ireland): House Rules for Parliament VI
[...] can find the introduction to the series, and brief for the authors, here. I’m happy to keep it running while there people wanting to express a substantive [...]
[...] shorter Politics Decoded for you today in light of the House Rules series, which I contributed to yesterday and implore you to [...]
There is a fifth option, one that I think most MPs would go for, that I think would gain lots of cross-party support and fits in neatly with their attitudes to both parliamentary democracy and appropriation of taxpayers money: Why not simply move the whole of the commons to a tax haven?.
Of course I wouldn’t go as far as to suggest that they were all dubious, of course not. However you have to consider that it wasn’t so long ago MPs were unpaid, contrast that with today’s MPs who aim to represent 100% of society but whose compensation for that role puts them in the top 5% of earners …
I commend your scoop to the House.
Of course, we could get the Tory Right in and turn *this* country into a tax haven (almost what Mrs T did, especially with France next door).
[...] and political positions. You can find the introduction to the series, and brief for the authors, here. I’m happy to keep it running while there people wanting to express a substantive [...]
[...] and political positions. You can find the introduction to the series, and brief for the authors, here. I’m happy to keep it running while there are people wanting to express a substantive [...]
[...] and political positions. You can find the introduction to the series, and brief for the authors, here. I’m happy to keep it running while there are people wanting to express a substantive [...]
[...] and political positions. You can find the introduction to the series, and brief for the authors, here. I’m happy to keep it running while there are people wanting to express a substantive [...]
[...] the Wardman Wire, we have a whole series of posts about MPs and their expenses from at least five [...]
[...] the Wardman Wire, we have a whole series of posts about MPs and their expenses from at least five [...]
[...] the Wardman Wire, we have a whole series of posts about MPs and their expenses from at least five [...]