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Wednesday 16 May 2012

Expenses Backlash Extra! Guilty Party Named!

Tuesday, 12th May 2009

The problem with being a newspaper columnist is that you have to keep finding new stuff to say. New is more important than better, you understand. So when everyone is outraged (and, hell, justifiably so for once!) by the spectacle of MPs' outrageous abuse of the spirit, and often the letter, of their expense arrangements then, sure as eggs is eggs, you know some columnist is going to take the contrary view and argue that it's all a lot of fuss over not very much.

David Aaronovitch has nobly decided that this is his role this week, inviting us to cool our passions and admire his sagacity as he scolds the public for daring to be angry. Remarkably, Aaronovitch concludes that the public, not parliamentarians, are the guilty ones. If only the little people wouldn't get so upset, you see.

Naturally, Macauley's line to the effect that “We know no spectacle so ridiculous as the British public in one of its periodical fits of morality,” is trotted out, though personally I'm more afraid of MPs periodical fits of morality than I am of the general public. After all, that brings us - to pluck some examples at random - such terrible legislation as the Dangerous Dogs act, the hunting ban, the smoking ban and our gun laws.

And, to be clear, when an MP signs an expenses claim for gardening or for having the moat at his country house dredged it is simply not possible for this to be an honest claim given that the regulations MPs have writte for themselves state, sans equivocation, that "the MP's signature verifies that the expenditure was wholly, exclusively and necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties". In other words, as I said yesterday, we are governed by a parliament of thieves.

But the sage Aaronovitch tells us to calm down and get a sense of perspective. If we want a democracy, he says, we must be prepared to pay for it. And so we must. Why this should require the public to tolerate the current scandalous arrangements is, however, something that is left unexplained.

Then again, there's something rum about the Times these days since Rachel Sylvester also offers MPs a generous measure of sympathy today and she too suggests that MPs are underpaid. Doubtless they are - relative to newspaper columnists. but as Chris Dillow reminds one MPs are actually amongst the best-paid people in Britain. And that's before you consider their allowances or the income they may earn from outside jobs (which jobs, incidentally, I think they should be allowed to keep since rendering a verdict on an MPs diligence and performance should be a matter for the electorate, not the Commons authorities).

Counterintuitive newspaper columns are all very well and good but sometimes being counterintuitive is just a fancy way of being stupid.

Filed under: Newspapers (382 more articles) , Westminster (186 more articles)

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dearieme

May 12th, 2009 4:03pm Report this comment

Well said. But that still doesn't excuse the hair.

mac

May 12th, 2009 4:11pm Report this comment

Well said, Alex.

I wish more journos and commentators would administer a deflationary pin to the bag of wind that is the pontificating cod-contrarian Aaronovitch,

Kevyn Bodman

May 12th, 2009 4:46pm Report this comment

'it is simple not possible for this to be an honest claim...'

This is absolutely correct about a number of these claims.
Thank you for saying it.

Shame on the defenders of these thieves.

Kevyn Bodman

May 12th, 2009 4:49pm Report this comment

If MPs think they are underpaid they should make the case for an increase in salary.
They should not use tricks on their expenses.

Demetrius

May 12th, 2009 5:08pm Report this comment

My sense of perspective is a shrinking income, rising costs, reduced local services, rail service cut, hospital ward and department closures sending us rambling round the shires for treatment, and not knowing what on earth to expect next. Perhaps I could get a job clearing moats or driving MP.s around their property holdings.

Hugh

May 12th, 2009 5:16pm Report this comment

Aaronovitch's counter-argument routine is unusually moronic this week.

But what do you expect from someone who looks like Holbein's rough sketches for Henry VIII?

Corsair

May 12th, 2009 5:39pm Report this comment

If MPs think they are underpaid, they can try their luck in the job market like the rest of us. Then they would find out exactly what the value of their labour is.

logdon

May 12th, 2009 6:34pm Report this comment

A bit like your piece on Wilders, judging by the response?

chas

May 12th, 2009 7:29pm Report this comment

MPs tell us what to do and how we should live our lives and they do as they please.

David Aaronovitch

May 12th, 2009 8:13pm Report this comment

As Tony Blair once said, it's worse than you think: I say it because I believe it. I'm talking about what I actually write, of course, and not your slightly coloured version of it, Alex.
And the question remains, what would be the best system of remuneration to get the best MPs working in the optimum way. Everything else is bombast.

Rush-is-Right

May 13th, 2009 7:25am Report this comment

I suspect this high-minded nonsense from the Times is an expression of their resentment that it's the Telegraph that has this story and not them.

Matthew

May 17th, 2009 1:07pm Report this comment

It was a bit underhand though David of you to alter the quote from Liz Price to make her seem slightly deranged [putting it in capitals, adding an exclamation mark]

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