In this section
- Section Home
- Privacy Policy
- Get a postal vote

Archive
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006

Blog RSS feed

RSS Feeds

- News RSS
- Blog RSS
- Gallery RSS

A Rotten Parliament

It’s been another rotten week for Parliament, with the - perfectly justifiable - massive media focus on MPs’ expenses. Those who were on the fiddle in any way must pay the penalty by losing their jobs (as has happened to perhaps 20/30 people) or being prosecuted (and they should most certainly not be allowed the defence of Parliamentary  Privilege ). Those MPs who over claimed and are objecting to the retrospective change in the rules should just pay up and shut up. In my case Sir Thomas Legg decided that I had overpaid my landlord by some £300, or £75 per year, against my rent over the four year period . I cannot imagine how he came to that conclusion. I have always paid my rent on demand and by direct debit straight to the landlord, and reclaimed that figure. However, for the sake of closure, and to avoid endless crawling over ancient accounts, I have indeed  repaid the £300 requested . And I wholly support the efforts of the new independent body, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, who are busily consulting on what system should be put in place to replace the widely discredited system of pay and allowances which currently exists.

All of this is a huge diversion away from real life. As we see the beginning of what may turn out to have been the most intense period of warfare for many years; as our economy totters along with the highest national debt for years; as the Greek and Spanish debts look like endangering, perhaps toppling the Euro project; as this discredited Government tries to do whatever it can to avoid humiliation in the polls which cannot come too soon; as all of that goes on, we in Westminster are chattering about whether or not an 18th Century Bill of Rights should be used to protect three Labour MPs from prosecution in the courts. What we need in the nation is direction and leadership on these great issues and more. So let’s deal with Westminster scandals and move swiftly on to the Election and set about putting our country back to rights.

For myself, I had a busy week - calling my own Westminster Hall debate on Multiple Sclerosis issues (I am Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for MS and Patron of the North Wilts branch of the MS Society); welcoming Neston Farm Shop to Parliament for the Countryside Alliance Rural Awards, of which they were the Wessex Regional Winners; visiting Scisys, a company in Chippenham producing high tech solutions for industry and government; meeting the new Station Commander at Lyneham (You can just guess what we discussed!); attending yet another repatriation in Wootton Bassett; spending a fascinating and enjoyable 6 hours of Friday evening with the Wootton Bassett Police, Sergeant Jo Spencer showing me around and giving me an insight into the excellence of our local police force; surgeries in Wootton Bassett and Malmesbury, looking into the Malmesbury Health Workshop, canvassing in Calne, attending a drinks party in East Tytherton. These things are the real meat of a Constituency MP’s week, and I would not swap them for all the great affairs of state you could mention.

So I do hope that Sir Thomas Legg and his aftermath, and the ever-more imminent General Election will truly draw a line under the last ghastly twelve Parliamentary months, and begin to restore the reputation of politics and our Parliament. We have so much to do and must not waste more time before we set about it.

Tags: