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It could be worse, you know: not every MP is a Moran

13 May 2009

Britain’s most popular political leader has been involved in a dodgy property deal with a fraudster.

The reason MPs are perceived to be so corrupt now is that Parliament created a system of expenses and allowances that the public does not think of as legitimate. It then fought every effort to bring information about how this system operates into the public domain. But now that the Telegraph has the unredacted receipts, everything is being revealed. So far there have been some truly shocking cases. Some MPs have sucked so hard on the public teat that it is bleeding. There are dozens who have behaved appallingly, including members of the Cabinet and shadow Cabinet.

But most MPs have not been caught in this kind of behaviour. The Telegraph’s investigation has demonstrated that they are not all at it. They are not all as bad as each other, however tempting it is to think so. Much of what is being said now about MPs is the equivalent of a politician declaring that because some people on benefits are cheats, everyone who claims welfare is.

This furore also risks ignoring some important truths. Being an MP is not a nine-to-five job; they do need to have accommodation both in their constituency and close to Westminster. We can debate how that should be provided, but this need cannot be overlooked. Second, no one should be denied the chance to be an MP because they cannot afford it. Requiring MPs to run two households on one salary will lead to a further narrowing of the social groups from which parliamentarians are drawn.

Everyone is agreed on the need to restore trust in politics; as Fraser Nelson writes on page 14, the consequences of failing to do so would be horrific. To aid that process, all MPs’ expenses claims should be published as soon as they are received. Parliament needs to let the electorate trust but verify. But restoring trust will also require a willingness on behalf of the public to remember that not every MP is a Ms Moran.

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Andrew

May 14th, 2009 7:40am Report this comment

The author of the piece writes "... The reason MPs are perceived to be so corrupt now is that Parliament created a system of expenses and allowances that the public does not think of as legitimate....".

I beg to differ. From what I can see the system was not the issue. It was the venality of the MPs who sought to use the system for personal enrichment which was the root of the problem.

Had the system been operated by people of good character seeking to behave honourably, none of this would be happening.

The plea that various individuals thought they were "within the rules" as they were being allowed to get away with it by a lax administration just won't wash.

Whatever system is put in place following this rumpus will struggle to cover all eventualities fairly if some MPs continue to seek to exploit it to their greatest personal advantage.

The issue is the quality of the people - not the tightness of the rules.

john problem

May 14th, 2009 8:40am Report this comment

Surely, there is also the perception in the streets that our MPs don't actually do anything useful. There are very few debates in the House - in fact, it should probably be run on a time-share basis with the private sector and make a bit of money to offset the £850,000 per head that MPs cost us. Most of the 'legislation' is flawed and nobody has the feeling that government is there for the benefit of the working citizen.
Best thing to do for we citizens is to demand that we have no parliament for a few months - like Belgium - and see how it goes. Didn't hurt Belgium. A pound to a penny it would be uplifting for our great nation. We could make it longer. Imagine! No government until the next Olympics. All our problems would sort themselves out without the dead hand of our leaders screwing them up further. People would become prosperous and happy again. Millions would be saved on MPs' salaries and allowances and could be spent on better things (anything would be better, when you think about it). We wouldn't have to listen to their ghastly speeches about feeling our pain. Nor marvel at their next pay and allowances increase, while the rest of us shop at Lidl. Everybody would benefit. Let us start a new party - 'Say No to Politicians!'

John Graham

May 14th, 2009 1:07pm Report this comment

"But restoring trust will also require a willingness on behalf of the public to remember that not every MP is a Ms Moran."

I'm willing to believe that there are some MPs who will emerge from this expenses fiasco with their integrity intact, but who are they? We need to know the names of the good guys/gals, not just the names of those who have abused the system or "made mistakes".

Wily Trout

May 14th, 2009 3:42pm Report this comment

Would someone provide a list of MPs who haven't made fraudulent claims?

Chris Whittington

May 14th, 2009 7:20pm Report this comment

"90% of politicians give the remaining 10% a bad name." Henry Kissinger

james harries

May 16th, 2009 12:15am Report this comment

"Being an MP is not a nine to five job."
Given the lack of scrutiny, the low level of debate, the rubber stamping of Brussels orders, the incompetent and frequently self contradictory regulations (including safety), indeed not.
More a part time job, really.

Mark Adrian Solomon

May 16th, 2009 12:29am Report this comment

This only goes to confirm how lax the US press has been about ensuring that Obama's dodgy connections and dealings came to light before the election. Much of what he did before stank of corruption.

For all that UK MPs complain about the expenses they need to incur to do their job and that the salary compares poorly to other fields, it is still true that whenever any vacancies arise there is never any shortage of candidates!

John Thomas

May 19th, 2009 4:54pm Report this comment

To take up Mark Adrian Solomon (and other peoples') point about Obama: the mainstream media preferred not to investigate his erstwhile doings, rather, to portray him as a saint (or, 'The One', the new messiah), and such as Sarah Palin as bad and creepy. Well, he was the choice (of these so-called "liberals"). But we will all pay the price ...

Mary

May 25th, 2009 10:29pm Report this comment

The U.S mainstream media has a lot to answer for in my opinion. They have had a love affair with Barack Obama to the point of worshipping him....or at least giving him the adulation afforded a super-star. In this climate, the real news has been suppressed and the masses have been indoctrinated into believing this man is the Messiah. When will people wake up!!!

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