MPs expenses are serious and disgusting abuses of position

By Pits'n'Pots Contributor.

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David Jack Hits back at those making a mockery of the system and treating the electorate with contempt.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Stoke North, David Jack, has hit out at the MPs expense scandal saying "It is clearly time for some outside body to now step in and review both MPs and Parliaments expenses and claims once and for all . We are in the midst of a recession and many MPs are either bending or breaking the rules to give themselves financial benefit. For struggling families up and down the country the abuses of power and position shown  by many MPs must feel a little bit like a kick in the teeth. How can we trust them to reel the banks and financial institutes in about their spending when the MPS in charge are as guilty for awarding themselves ridiculous amounts of our cash? I would go as far as to say that many of the claims were possibly fraudulent and quite possibly illegal with the intention of deceit being at the forefront of many of the recipients claims"

There have been a number of attempts over the last few years to try and resolve the issue and seek clarity by Lib Dem members. The Liberal Democrats led the opposition campaign to exempt MPs from freedom of information laws. A senior Conservative MP introduced a private member's bill, the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill, to remove any obligation for details of MPs' expenses to be made public. Labour and Conservative MPs voted the Bill through, locally we know what our current elected members have done. More will be published in the days and weeks to come I am sure. Last year an unholy alliance of Labour and Conservatives MPs, including local Labour MPs who voted down a number of proposals from the Members Estimates Committee for tightening up MPs expenses and allowances. Amongst the proposals removed were allowing outside professionals to undertaking financial health checks of MPs offices, ensure all claims would need receipts, prevent MPs claiming for furniture and capital improvements to their second homes and limiting the daily subsistence to £30.

Councillor David Jack added "I am disappointed that our local Labour MPs did not vote to ensure the expenses could be made public and voted against tightening up MPs expenses and allowances. They now have the check to say the rules were not clear or that the system was broken. There are many more excuses to come along with apologies and mumblings but at the end of the day if you stole your neighbours car would you be allowed off Scot free if you just gave it back and said sorry? Absolutely not, so why one rule for the electorate and another for those who are elected to help others, not themselves"

In April Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg set out a series of proposals for urgent reform of the rules on MP expenses. These proposals stated that taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being spent, all expenses have to be justified on the basis of enabling MPs to do their job and reform should not increase, and should ideally reduce, the total cost of politics to the taxpayer. Mr Clegg has now also called for any profits on the sale of second homes to be returned to the state. You can find more details of Nick's proposals at http://www.nickclegg.com/2009/04/mps-expenses-reform/