MP's expenses

It is totally apparent why Speaker Michael Martin has tried for so long to keep those expenses out of the public domain.

I am unconvinced that the recent sycophantic rantings of Communities Secretary Hazel Blears, et al, promising to return mony, will change my, or other people’s, opinions on this matter.

MPs say the system is flawed.

Why, then, have MPs used it so enthusiastically?

One local point was the disgusting appearance by Redcar MP Vera Baird talking of the sympathy she feels for her constituents facing redundancy from the Corus works, yet we discover she had attempted (later refused by the Fees Office) to claim for a Christmas tree and baubles. This typifies the rank hypocrisy of all MPs.

There is no quick-fix remedy, but I suggest the following:

● the immediate dismissal or resignation of Speaker Martin;
● an immediate General Election to give us the chance to start anew;
● removal of the title “Honourable” from every MP – honour is a privilege which must be earned.

Meanwhile, it is the duty of every voter to oust every sitting MP to allow this country to rebuild Parliament.

Colin T Mortimer, Pity Me, Durham.

THE latest revelations about expenses claims by MPs, those honour-bound servants of the public, does, if nothing else, give credence to that widely-held opinion that “politics is the last refuge of a scoundrel” – personal opinion being that party politics is rotten to the core.

Many appear to join a particular party purely to put self-interest before all else. They then sacrifice opinion and principle by rigidly adhering to the party line.

Oh yes, we have them in local government also, snout-in-trough opportunists not averse to turning a blind eye to nepotism and chronyism.

Thankfully, we do also have those who seek nothing more than to put the interests of the public before all else.

As a pick-and-shovel workman all my life I was weaned on the socialist principle of “to each according to their needs, from each according to their ability”.

Isn’t it about time this doctrine was a laid-down part of government legislature – practised, not preached.

For the greater part of my life I’ve always voted for party rather than person. Now, at 85 years of age, I realise how wrong I was.

You should always vote for the person rather than the party. It only takes one rotten apple to ruin a barrel.

AW Dunn, Spennymoor, Co Durham.

REGARDLESS of so-called “rules”, MPs are ripping us off. I want to go further than a Commons inquiry. I want a hard-line interrogation.

Meanwhile, let us close down this degenerate club of shameless robbers.

Civil servants run the country and 85 per cent of our laws are made in Europe. Scotland has its parliament, the Welsh their assembly and local councils keep the wheels turning, so how necessary is Parliament?

At about the era of Cromwell, a man of the people with a company of pikemen would have ridden in and stormed this nest of rats, some of whom would have had their heads stuck on a spike. Now, however, we are a democracy, which means we are completely at the mercy of shameless yobs at every level of our lives.

Modern communications negate the need for London residency for MPs; surely periodic trips with overnight accommodation, preferably in one of the London Barracks, would be enough.

Beware. They are trying to abolish the expenses system (though lucrative, it adds no value to their pensions) and have equivalent sums subsumed into their salaries.

No one realises just how angry the public is. Little wonder so many refuse to vote.

Gerard Wild, Richmond, North Yorkshire.

FORMER Conservative Party chairman Lord (Norman) Tebbit is spot on when he advises people to “vote for any party other than the main three”.

Given what we know about the disgraced MPs who represent the Labour, Tory and Liberal Democrat parties and their indefensible expenses claims, who in their right mind would even consider now voting for this selfish bunch?

In the Euro elections on June 4 the vote is counted under the proportional representation system, therefore the electorate has the ideal opportunity to hit back at these dastardly politicians by getting representation from the smaller parties.

Let’s make the Euro poll a referendum on the outrageous antics of the three main parties who misgovern us, and elect some anti-European Union parties to the Strasbourg and Brussels chambers so the lavish gravy train expenses claimed by Euro MPs can also be exposed, and the EU parliament held to account, too.

Mark Anderson, Middleton St George, near Darlington.

■ Footnote: Lord Tebbit said his call for a boycott of the major parties applied only to the European Parliament elections.

IT seems safe to say that most clear-headed and honest people have been rightly appalled and disgusted by the greed, avarice and wanton disregard for the public shown by MPs of all parties.

This latest example of naked greed is merely another manifestation of the attitude that has brought the finance houses to their knees with all the repercussions that has had on ordinary families.

It could be argued that now is the time to send a clear message to those who profess to represent our interests in Parliament.

They refer to themselves as “Right Honourable”. Recent conduct indicates little that they do is “right” and precious little is “honourable”.

Could the editor of The Northern Echo mount one of the campaigns for which it has become famous, feared and respected? The aim would be to abolish the use of the terms “Right” and “Honourable” when referring to MPs. The earlier the campaign begins, while people are still so justifiably angry, the more successful it could be.

Stephen Markham, Chester-le-Street, Co Durham.

THE MPs’ expenses row rumbles on. New rules are required sooner, rather than later.

As part of an all-party review it is proposed that an MP’s second home is fixed for the term of a parliament. It is also proposed that MPs will not be able to claim for furniture and fittings at a second home.

There are suggestions that Westminster should follow Holyrood where rules were tightened. At Holyrood, receipts for all claims must be produced and they must be published within three months.

It is noted that some MPs voted against their expenses details being brought into the public domain under Freedom of Information legislation.

However, it is important that those who govern us should do so with transparency. Jo Swinson, Liberal Democrat MP for East Dumbartonshire, publishes her expenses on her website. Maybe others could follow her example.

One person who has not come out well from the whole saga is the Speaker, Michael Martin.

Even some Labour members are calling for him to resign.

Jacquie Bell, Liberal Democrat Spokeswoman, Stockton South.

IN Harry Mead’s column about MPs’ expenses (Echo, May 13) he recommends “a total national abstention at the next General Election”.

Is he implying that there is not a single, decent hard-working MP in our country, and that we, the electorate, are incapable of assessing the integrity or otherwise of the candidates who put themselves forward?

Does he think that supporters of the extremist parties who shout the loudest will heed his advice and not vote? That way fascism lies – and who will we blame then? Ourselves?

Miss A Simpson, Richmond, North Yorkshire.

DUE to the current kerfuffle over MPs’ expenses I hope the long-suffering electorate can take a Gucci slogan to heart when selecting their next “Honourable Member of Parliament”: “Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten.”

M Hawkins, Langley Park, Durham.