Gordon Brown has belatedly acted, on the controversy surrounding MP's expenses, clearly after weeks of continuing scandal, much of it coming from his own ministers and Labour MP's as they fill their boots with taxpayers' money.
He made the announcement on the number 10 website, where you can see the video of Gordon brown, explaining his interim measures, it's worth looking at, just to gauge how bad things are, watch his delivery and demeanor, toward the end it seems his smile for instance flashes from scowl to full volume grin or rather grimace without any in-between a bit like watching a light bulb flicker before it fails.
Maybe it's the possibility, that the prime minister has just cottoned on to the fact, of how seriously the public take, the images of the home Secretary apparently bluffing her way out of a rather unseemly position because if you study the PM, it looks as though he couldn't be more uncomfortable, if sat in a dentist's chair, facing an extraction without pain relief.
Of course he comes out with all the usual tosh, of greater disclosure accountability etc. but what does that mean in practice, I seem to recall one particular MP, who although he declared taking 25,000 pounds for his party, from a developer, not surprisingly as far as I can recall, didn't then preface remarks about a development, by saying “I had a donation from one of the directors of this company”, when speaking in favour of it.
Also mention was made of second jobs, again I seem to recall, a former minister, taking a "Consultancy" not long after being sidelined, in the same sector that they had recently held ministerial responsibility for.
Labour has positioned themselves, firmly where the Tories were in 1997, that is remote from those who voted for them, and with their snouts in the trough. Of course I believe that barring some miracle, most labour MP's will be in receipt of the P 45, which to be honest is their own fault, but might explain their screw you attitude to the electorate.
I'm convinced that Labour won the 1997 election, not because of Blair's cheesy grin, their policies but because of years of Tory sleaze.
MP's if they want to be considered professional, they need to cut out the second jobs, not take gifts and just get on with the bloody job, it's fair enough that an MP might have a special interest, but taking paying job is just not on.
Conservatives are probably just the same but of course the difference is their not currently the party of government, although Gordon Brown is doing his best to make that so.
Tony I believe we are losing any sense of what politics and democracy is about both nationally and locally, first past the post and playing safe seats combined with trying to get in by manipulating the press and smearing the opposition just doesn’t work any more.
ReplyDeleteRealistically at the moment democracy means a choice between two cabinets mostly in safe seats.
I believe we ought to consider an independently elected prime minister, electoral reform of some sort and some sort of test every few years for highly paid civil servants.
The contoversy over labours expenses hasnt cleared up at all, now theyre getting an "attendance allowance" of 170 quid per day just to turn up, thats more than most of thems expenses. Its wrong and we do nothing coz were blinded by democratic idiots who miss the point.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually thinking of having a bash at politics myself, beyond the opinion forming sort of thing, that we're both involved with.
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