The Wardman Wire

Everyone agrees that we need more transparency in Parliament but how? There will be an article published each day by a different guest poster - from different viewpoints.

Ben Bradshaw MP made a number of unusual statements on Question Time on Thursday this week, including the rather wonderful:

Ben Bradshaw on Question Time, ‘I always vote for reform, check theyworkforyou. It says “Voted moderately for a transparent Parliament”

This is rather wonderful if true.

Unfortunately it is not true. Ben Bradshaw didn’t even register any votes on “Transparency” in the Public Whip record until July 2008.

I want to pick up on my comment made on April Fools’ Day:

We need a bicycling Parliament

This is a thought based on the idea of a “Bicycling Monarchy” - an idea for a British Monarchy shorn of many of the trappings, pomp and ceremonial. Wikipedia defines it like this:

Bicycle monarchy (or bicycling monarchy) is a British term that refers to the more informal and modest personal styles of the royal families of countries in Scandinavia and the Low Countries, particularly the Netherlands.

The term is often used in a pejorative sense by newspapers in the United Kingdom, reflecting a pride in the pomp and ceremony of the British monarchy. However, it is not used exclusively as a negative term, and is sometimes used in a favourable light, particularly by those that oppose the more ceremonial side of the Royal Family but do not seek to abolish the monarchy.

In my view that captures some of the change we need to apply to the Westminster Parliament. There are models around, such as the more modest allowances paid by the Welsh Senedd (Lord Dafyd Ellis refused to make Senedd Expenses less open to take pressure off Westminster arrangements) and Norwegian Parliaments.

I posted earlier about Oink the Water Buffalo in Darley Abbey.

I’m may not be forgiven for highlighting this, but he has a website now as well. Photo credit Snap Derby.

I guarantee that I will not be doing a podcast interview.

I will - however - cover any MPs who do a publicity photo wearing a viking hat with Oink though.

Given that it is Derbyshire, Ann and Nicholas Winterton would seem appropriate. Oink.

Introduction

As the Wardman Wire contribution to efforts to move forward the current debate about MPs and their expenses, terms and conditions, and the transparency and reputation of politics in general, we are running an article series from a wide range of viewpoints on the whole topic.

If there is a single aim, it is to bring some light in alongside the heat. We want to generate a lot of ideas for ways ahead from a lot of different viewpoints 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 view.

Tim Ireland: Audits and Timekeeping - an example

This contribution is by Tim Ireland of Bloggerheads, who suggests that MPs draw on experience from the world outside the Westminster bubble.

Introduction

As the Wardman Wire contribution to efforts to move forward the current debate about MPs and their expenses, terms and conditions, and the transparency and reputation of politics in general, we are running an article series from a wide range of viewpoints on the whole topic.

If there is a single aim, it is to bring some light in alongside the heat. We want to generate a lot of ideas for ways ahead from a lot of different viewpoints 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 view.

Gavin Whenman: Keep the status quo

This contribution is from Liberal Democrat activist Gavin Whenman of GavinWhenman.com, who argues that the present system contains no inherent faults, but rather that the Derek Conway scandal proved how well the current system is coping with dishonest MPs, by providing an essentially political, rather than legal, oversight of MPs expenses. Should this Parliamentary system itself fail, the public acts as the final arbiter of an MPs conduct through elections.

There will be another article in the “House Rules for Parliament” series published tomorrow (Friday) afternoon at 3pm today at 6pm.
I have held today’s over, as I have not had sufficient time to finish the editing.
It didn’t need editing.
Tags: house rules for parliament, ethics, mp[tags]house rules for parliament, ethics, mp[/tags]