Rob Wilson's Westminster Diary, May 14, 2009

Rob Wilson MP • Published 14 May 2009 08:00 4 Comments

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I HOPE you"ll forgive me, but I am sick to death of talking about MPs" expenses, because it"s all people want to discuss. Unfortunately, I know I can"t avoid it this week.

MPs are the butt of everyone"s jokes, from vicars to vets and binmen to barristers. I"ve heard every possible connotation revolving round what we buy on expenses.

MPs should probably be added to the persecuted minorities in Harriet Harman"s Equalities Bill under discussion at Westminster this week.

Joking aside, the public"s anger is righteous anger. Some MPs have let themselves and the House of Commons down; some accidentally, some not. It"s not just one party, it"s all parties.

The eye of the storm appears to be the "second home allowance" being used to fund things which are outside the spirit of the rules (on occasions outside the letter as well).

I"ve never claimed the second home allowance, and will have turned down about £125,000 by the end of this Parliament. Many colleagues think I"m mad, but I"ve always preferred commuting, so I can take my children to school.

It means late nights and some very early starts, but I"d rather see my family every day.

However, I"m lucky because I live within a commutable distance and only in the last two years have I had added front bench responsibility. For many MPs it"s not so manageable and they do need somewhere to live in London.

While cleaning up the abuses, we must ensure people of all backgrounds can become MPs. This is essential if MPs are to rebuild their tarnished reputations, and David Cameron did the right thing with the changes announced on Tuesday.

But politics isn"t all bad.

Indeed the Conservatives, like all parties by and large, comprise wonderful, community spirited people, like Kathleen Henderson, who died recently and whose funeral I attended last week. She was a truly wonderful person who lived, and campaigned for my party, in Woodley.

She had been a town and district councillor, but was also a Woodley Carnival organiser over nearly 50 years, a school governor, was involved with the local theatre group, scouts and guides.

I could go on and on, because it is people like Kathleen who make our communities wonderful places to live in and be part of. Kathleen was a very special person who will be sorely missed by her family, Woodley, the Conservative Party, and me.

This blog appeared in Reading Chronicle 14 May 09

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Damocles
11 posts
May 18, 08:29
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Judging by Mr Wilson's diary column I am not sure he understands the public's anger at the corrupt system which no political party has done anything to correct in many decades. Parliamentary expenses is not just an outrageous cash cow for MPs to fill their pockets on the slightest pretext, but is a Machiavellian scheme established for less than honest purposes – to conceal the level of funding for politicians through a contemptuous and despicable disregard for the public. The system is morally corrupt and bankrupts each and every MP because they collectively have supported this dishonesty.

And that is only the start of public resentment at the duplicitous conduct of this group of public servants who fought to keep the system outside the knowledge of the people and who have continued to conceal the systemic abuse which clearly was known to all MPs.

By dint of the fact that Mr Wilson states "I've never claimed the second home allowance, and will have turned down about £125,000 by the end of this Parliament" shows that he, at best, considers it right that it is an entitlement whilst ignoring the fact that he is within commutable distance to Parliament and therefore that the public would consider it an unreasonable expense if he went down that path. Mr Wilson forgets that Station Hill is being developed because Reading is to become an overpopulated dormitory town for people who work in London. You have not turned down £125,000; it is not justifiable as an expense.

Second Home allowances and London Allowances are just two of many costs from the public purse. Expenses are not personal rewards – they are to support the proper functioning of the job which the people have elected the MP to do. And part of that is to ensure good laws and to protect the public purse from scoundrels. There has been a gross breach of trust and we should be grateful that it has been exposed thanks to the freedom of the press, not through parliamentary integrity. The second homes issue is the tip of the problem.

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