What should be done about MPs’ expenses?
May 11th, 2009How horrendous can it get? There are several matters that need to be urgently dealt with. One is: deciding quickly how the system should be radically reformed. Second, who should be put in charge of ensuring the rules are strictly adhered to? Third, what are the sanctions to be applied against those who break the rules? And most immediately, what penalties should be imposed on those who are now revealed to have plundered the system most flagrantly? There is one further issue too arising out of this miasma which needs to be explored. Since it was clearly in the public interest that these revelations were made available, but it only occurred because of the exasperation of the High Court in demanding that they be brought to light under FOI, perhaps the coverage of FOI should be extended to major institutions in the private sector as well to shine some light into dark corners of the corporate, financial, media and professional worlds where the public and the taxpayer have a right to greater transparency.
It is clear to all that Parliament is facing an unprecedented crisis because the integrity of so many of its leaders is now seen to be so ruinously tarnished. If ever the firm smack of political leadership needed to be exerted, it is now. That ought to deliver in pretty smart order:
(i) The entire record of all Members’ allowances should be published as quickly as feasible, within the next 2 weeks,
(ii) The Members’ Estimates Committee in the Commons, which controls the allowances system, should be told to stop immediately payments for furnishings and all the other exotica which have now been exposed, and to cap mortgage interest payments at a low level,
(iii) The worst offenders should not only be required to apologise and to pay back their ill-gotten aims, but should be dealt with in exemplary fashion both as a future deterrent and to persuade an enraged public that gross abuse of taxpayers’ funds is being effectively punished.
The longer-term fundamental reform of MPs’ allowances has been given to the Kelly Committee, and hopefully they will report quickly (but probably not before the autumn). That must include stopping the most serious offences that have come to light – gaming the system by “flipping” the designation of main and second homes so as to claim allowances (currently £24,006 a year) to refurbish and upgrade a property (as a second home) and then claiming it is their main home so that they can sell it and pocket the capital appreciation and avoid having to pay any capital gains tax on it. To block this, an external regulatory authority (but not in the private sector) should be empowered not only to decide the designation of homes, which could then not be altered without the express agreement of the authority, but also to administer robustly a much tighter set of rules. Those new rules might offer a modest State-owned house or flat, like the vicar’s tied cottage in the church, and if the MP wanted a grander residence, s/he would have to pay for it themselves.
What are the sanctions to enforce such a system? Hopefully the rules would be drawn tight enough that breaches were rare. But where gross infringements still did occur, the penalty should be withdrawal of the party whip, de-selection as a Parliamentary candidate, and in the most extreme cases expulsion from the Commons and a by-election to replace him/her. I doubt if anything less will restore integrity to Parliament.
May 12th, 2009 at 12:08 am
Well, you obviously can’t afford a proof-reader, so it must be pretty bad.
May 12th, 2009 at 12:18 am
The question should not be, what should done about MPs’ expenses but what should be done about corruption.
May 12th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
The “iffy” payments, like cleaning out the moat,manure,dog food and blue movies etc. should be repaid. Next we need a complete reform of Parliament to bring it into the 21st. century. It should be run on business lines and overnight accomodation should be provided by bed and breakfast at a 4 star hotel as cheap subsidised food is provided at Westminster. Next the long breaks should be brought in line with the private sector and second or third outside jobs banned as these often create conflicts of interests. Next MP’s should have been born in or close to their constituancies or have lived in the area for a number of years. This would prevent candidates, who know nothing about the area, being parachuted in.
May 12th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
I see James Arbuthnot has been told to pay back the money for his horse manure. I think he should be made to collect all the cr*p personally and take it back to the shop.
As for Margaret Moran … as a Labour Party member all I can say is – sigh.
May 12th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
The asinine ‘I broke no rules’ excuses of these pitiful people resonate with the ‘I was only following orders’ shrieks of other so-called servants of their respective states. Power corrupts.
May 12th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Easy to fix. Every MP with unethical expenses should says sorry, admit that their behaviour was unethical and wrong and pay the lot back. If they refuse to, then they should be expelled from whatever party they are in. An fraudulent behaviour wither it be against the rules or illegally evading taxes should be prosecuted. From then on every expense claimed should need a receipt and the receipt should be published on a website, you’ll soon find that after that is done all MPs will be lining up to be whiter than white with their expenses – especially after seeing other members of the house expelled by their party’s, charged or forced to pay it back.