The Wardman Wire

Is it any wonder we have apathy?

Last week the Commons voted down any changes to the expenses set up that MPs currently benefit from.  At a time when the perception of our MPs is at rock bottom when it comes to sleaze and money, coinciding with the credit crunch and talk of recession, they really have done themselves no favours.  Is it any wonder election turnouts are so low and voter apathy is so high?

An MPs duty

The reality is, most MPs do earn their money, but like any organisation there are bad apples.  These representatives of the people are in the spot light and are paid with our hard earned money and as such they should expect to be whiter than white; after all, they are passing the legislation we live by and are while I do not expect them to perfect, they do have a duty when it comes to looking to be leading by example.

Surely one of the key roles of politicians is to engage the people in to the political process.  So why did the Commons show such contempt for this massive issue by showing such a poor turn out?  Not only is the perception created that they are on the take, but that they don’t care either. 

The guidelines are what are fundamentally wrong

Like it or not, there is public concern over the way MPs make their money – whether it be cash for peerages, party donations or generous expenses.  In all these cases there have actually been very, very few MPs who have fallen short of the guidelines.  But the public outcry must surely ring alarm bells to them that we are not happy with those very guidelines.

It is not right that MPs can vote on their own pay rises.  It is not right they can claim hundreds of pounds expenses with so few checks and balances.  It does look odd that a married couple can claim double on housing and what made them think that the rejection of the so called John Lewis list was ever going to please the electorate. But most of all, how did they ever think that transparency would ever be achieved when it is the MPs themselves that are the judge and the jury?

The problem is not that MPs are doing wrong – in almost all cases they aren’t.  But then again, I would never do wrong either if I were the one in charge of where the goal posts were positioned, in the same way turkeys would not advocate Christmas dinner given the chance.

It should have been and should be independent

This inquiry should have been independent and MPs should have all expenses, wage rises and other financial issues taken out of their hands immediately.  Not because they are doing wrong per se, but because it looks wrong and the temptation for the few is clearly more than is acceptable by the British electorate.  In some cases this may mean a better deal for MPs who are often stopped from voting on a pay rise due to overbearing media attention – and may well contribute them to taking money on the side.

Shame on the majority

Last week’s vote was the final straw for me, shame on the 20 Tory MPs and the 140 Labour MPs who voted for keeping second home payments and the so-called John Lewis list.  You have further contributed to the stench of sleaze that is suffocating real politics in this country.