We Need To End The Problems Raised By MP Expenses Claims

It seems a shame to see a talented Minister having to resign from the government after such a short time in office but it also does him credit for doing so.

It would appear outrageous that David Laws claimed so much money in expenses for rent for rooms in a house he shared with another man but does it really make any difference?

If we are going to pay the rent for MPs should we care who it is paid to? If you happen to have a close friend or even a partner who owns a house in London why should they not be paid? You may argue that they would be living there anyway but that is only because they are in London to work at the Houses of Parliament.

We have a system of expenses that has been made full use of but which of us wouldn’t do that if we had the opportunity. in this case, if it is considered acceptable to claim an amount for rent does it really matter who gets that money? Whether it goes to a hotel, pays a mortgage or goes to some stranger, it makes little difference. The money is available and being paid out regardless.

What we need is a thorough discussion of what expenses an MP should be entitled to and my own opinion is that all MPs should be treated the same. I can understand an MP on the outskirts of London feeling a little miffed that he, or she, is expected to travel home each evening while another MP from somewhere further afield is allowed to have paid accommodation much closer to Westminster.

I am inclined towards thinking that there should be a standard grant of expenses paid to all MPs each year regardless of where there constituency is though probably travel costs should be an additional payment. Other than that keep it simple and let us get on with worrying about what government does and not how it is all paid for.

Can You Send A Removal Van To 10 Downing Street?

Seeing pictures of removal vans arriving at No 10, it amused me to imagine the phone call to the removal firm. Who would believe it was true if they were to get a phone call requesting a removal van to be sent to one of the most famous addresses in the world.

You can easily imagine several removal companies simply saying, ‘Pull The Other One’ and hanging up before someone takes the call seriously.  Jeremy Beadle we miss you.

A New Government And A Moment Of Political History

This has been a long drawn out election in which nobody was ever entirely sure who would be Prime Minister just a few hours hence. Finaly it has reached a resolution and the answer has been as unlikely as everything else that has happened throughout the election campaign period.

Gordon Brown resigns: Suddenly but with a dignified speech Gordon Brown resigned during the evening of the 11th may 2010 bringing an end to 13 years of the New Labour experiment. Some will argue it was a success though many would disagree but as he leaves office no one can doubt the genuine intentions of GB to do what he could to help improve the lives of the British people. History will judge how effectively he did that.

David Cameron Is Prime Minister:

After the resignation of Gordon Brown David Cameron was invited to the Palace for an audience with the Queen where she invited him to form the new government. He accepted and was driven to 10, Downing Street where he delivered a very positive speech emphasizing that his government would be a coalition between Tories and Liberal Democrats which would protect the weakest in society whilst encouraging us all to work together for the betterment of everyone.

Nick Clegg is Deputy Prime Minister

After a day of discussions and dealings both parties have voted to support the deal arranged for the Lib Dems & Tories to work in a coalition government. Nick Clegg is to be Deputy Prime Minister and several other Ministerial posts will go to Lib Dem MPs.

These are momentous moves in British political history and only time will tell if and how well it works but it is starting well and could pave the way for a new way of doing politics in the future. We will hear a lot more specific detail tomorrow but for now let us celebrate something different that could be the best way to deal with the difficult times this country faces as we deal with the enormous debt problems we have.