Subject best avoided

This last week or two we’ve pretty much heard it all, on the expenses issue, and for me I would think the best policy for any MP, is to condemn the excesses and just keep a low profile on the subject.

Still Thanet South’s MP has taken the position of publishing, his expenses warts and all, at the earliest opportunity. Now clearly Stephen Ladyman has nothing to hide, so just out of curiosity I thought I ‘d take a quick glance.

Now I accept that MP’s do need additional accommodation just like say a sales rep or engineer working on the road, so claiming for additional expenses is right and proper, that said though, on inspection, its interesting that the claim form ACA2 has various little headings maintenance, council tax, cleaning (fair enough who wants their MP in a pinny dusting and hovering 2 hours a week when theirs governing to be done) but hang on, how about this item for “Food”, for which Stephen Ladyman claims a monthly £340-00, now I’m willing to accept that figure is inline with the appetites of other MP’s. But can someone tell me why MP’s should be eating at my expense, excluding meals etc. taken in restaurants on business.

Before anyone’s tempted, to give some indignant response I’d like to just point this out, since even professional local Labour politician Cllr Mark Nottingham seemed a bit cloudy on the issue, the minimum wage is currently £5.73 so for a million or so they’d need to work a few minutes short of 60 hours to pay for that lot, accept of course they’d be paying tax.

Thankfully Labour has made sure that British workers can afford food, albeit by working, dangerously long hours, allowing opt outs from the European working time directive, sorry for the diversion but I doubt your average, Labour party dib dob has worked on sites where safety is eroded by the long hours culture.

Still if you look on the local blog sites of David Green and Mark Nottingham you’ll be able to read Stephen Ladyman’s statement amongst which you’ll see that it noted that 440 MPs’ claimed more than he, which presumably means 219 claimed less.

Fortunately the Sunday Times didn’t include Stephen Ladyman in its front page story concerning the 150 MPs’ who despite their busy Westminster lives manage to moonlight with second jobs, one Tory Tony Baldry having 10 jobs, still maybe Ladyman has given up his job as “adviser” to ITIS Holdings featured in an earlier Times story ”Labour MP Stephen Ladyman uses inside track to strike deals” click here for details.

You’ll find it difficult, I’m sure, not to believe I’m on some sort of witch hunt, but there is no point in pussy footing around the issues, its clear to me that politicians have strayed from what most perceive as acceptable conduct.

My solution is this, that we accept MPs are only human, ask them all to make clear, as Stephen Ladyman has done, and from now on, claim out of pocket expenses (the sort acceptable in business) which doesn’t include hundreds on food you’d buy anyway  or kit-kats or even eight grand televisions.

It’ll be interesting to see how Roger Gale compares when we get to see details of his expenses, still hopefully some day soon MPs will get back to the honourable business of governing us citizens.

Finally should we be too harsh, lets be honest if I was given the opportunity of helping myself to the odd DVD Television or gadget on the taxpayer would I say no, yes …. NO COMMENT !