What is it with elected representatives and expense fraud?
I mean seriously. They’re elected to do a job. To represent the people. Whether that be in Westminster, Bruseels/Strasbourg, Holyrood, the Senedd, or even at the local town hall.
So why do they keep fucking fiddling their expenses?! They get paid to do a job. If they don’t think that they get paid enough and want more money, then they can go into the private sector and try their luck. But what they shouldn’t do is follow the examples of Derek Conway and Giles Chichester.
David Cameron is absolutely correct in his statement to say:
Giles Chichester is right to stand down as leader of our MEPs to prepare a full explanation of how his office is funded. Just as I expect our MPs to adhere to the highest standards, so must our MEPs. The tax-paying public have a right to know how their money is being spent and politicians have a duty to ensure it is spent properly.
But those words now need to be followed up with actions. Since both of the main expenses scandals have involed Conservative politicians, the Conservative Party must take the lead in ensuring that such actions are stopped.
As such, the Conservative Party should publish a monthly audit of all expenses claimed by Conservative MPs and MEPs, with explanations for the claims from the politicians. To ensure that, in future, all Tory politicians are completely in the clear over their expenses.
To show that he is committed to following pretty words with string action, Cameron must implent this without delay. And MPs who refuse to comply should lose the whip, and new candidates selected in their constituencies.
By doing this, the Conservatives will shame the other parties and Parliament itself and, with any luck, cause Parliament to take up the baton and produce this for all MPs.
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The problem is that all the political parties are clearly hiding a lot of dodgy expenses and the Conservatives would have to put their entire house in order before bringing some new legislation in.
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