wannabepriest

I am not sure what angers me more in this whole MP expenses scandal that is going on at the moment. I can’t work out if I’m more angry that so many of our MPs from all parties have been playing the system to their advantage and making their own private fortunes through the expenses system, or if I’m more angry in the aftermath with all the apparent contrition.

I mean, honestly, does Hazel Blears and all the rest think that waving a cheque around on national TV and agreeing to pay back any profit they made on their houses is going to be acceptable? The only reason MP’s are now saying they’ll pay it back is a. because they’ve all been caught and b. in a desperate attempt to keep their job at the next election.

Whether it’s Blears (who for some reason I do find particularly gets my goat) or one of the other Labour, Tory or Lib-Dem MPs, they clearly have no understanding of what repentance is all about. They continue to stress that they acted within the law and within the rules and that they are only paying it back now because people feel strongly about it.

No-one has admitted they did anything wrong. The general gist has been ‘while this was within the rules, I accept the public aren’t happy about it and therefore I am doing something in response’. There’s no recognition that while this may have been technically within the rules, it is clearly unethical to ‘flip’ between second homes in order to get them decorated on the taxpayer’s money. Moreover, it is clearly unethical to then sell on those houses for profit (because they now look so much better and well equipped than when they were purchased). I’ve not even mentioned the various revelations coming out about helipads, chocolate bunnies and all the rest.

Where is their sense of morality about what is right and what is reasonable to claim on expenses? No wonder they all fought so hard a few months back to try and prevent such details being made public.

Anyway anger and frustration aside, clearly the big thing is to try and set things aright so that this doesn’t happen again.

As far as I can see, there are two simple solutions. The first one is very obvious – if you share my anger and frustration at all this, don’t vote for any MP caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Vote for the other guy/girl. Vote for someone who promises to act with integrity and be ‘whiter than white’ in all their financial dealings and in their comportment as a Member of Parliament. Teach the prospective parliamentarians of this age and the future that moral integrity, especially in regard to finances, is vital to anyone wishing to represent the people in Parliament.

Secondly, I can’t see why they don’t borrow a solution from the church. In the Church of England, each parish church comes with a house for the incumbent to live in. The house belongs to the church and it’s the church’s responsibility to keep the house in good order.

Clearly, MPs do need a second home. If you represent people outside of London, you need to have somewhere to base yourself locally in your constituency whilst also being able to work in Westminster when your diary demands it. I don’t think anyone sensible is denying that.

So why not get the State to own the houses which MPs use to do their duties? When they take office, they move into the house. When they lose their seat, they move out. The Government with taxpayer’s money is responsible for its upkeep but at least there’s no potential for abuse. I would bet instituting such a system would be a damn sight cheaper in the long-term than any expenses equivalent.