MPs' expenses

An independent committee of local people from outside politics should work with each MP and association to conclude, in a fair and reasoned manner, whether the MP is worthy to stand at the next General Election.

This process should have a number of objectives: that the MP has acted inappropriately, pays back a specific amount of money and stands down at the next General Election; the MP has a number of items of expense that bear no relation to their work and pays back that expense, but is allowed to stand; and the MP has acted in good faith throughout and should be reported as such.

Finally, the process is concluded before the summer recess to include public recommendations as to amendments to the system.

While I am angry at this misuse of money, I believe Britons are fair and decent, and it is the reasoned people of each area that should decide an MP’s fate. Protest voting might allow people to vent their spleen, but it doesn’t sort out the issue.

Jim Tague, Bishop Auckland.

I HAVE a solution to the MPs’ expenses fiasco. Why not let everyone in Government service claim expenses for a second home?

Take soldiers in Afghanistan.

Although their second home is either a tent, trench or foxhole, surely they must be able to claim for these; after all sandbags and tarpaulins cost money.

Soldiers have to buy their own kit to replace some of the rubbish they are issued with – they could claim this as furniture.

The business-minded soldier could furnish his foxhole and sell it on at a profit. He could then dig a bigger foxhole, furnish that with better sandbags and then sell that on. Beat that, Alastair Darling.

Moat clearance? The soldier could claim for a tool to clear the water out of the bottom of his trench. Chandeliers? How about a torch. Central heating? How about hot water.

And how about “hard-lying allowance” for being shot at?

The mind boggles at the opportunities for a soldier.

Fortunately, the soldier is a decent, brave man, willing to give all for his country.

The MP is a parasite, willing to take all from his country.

Sean Godfrey, Darlington.

RE your article, “From gas bills to carpeting – MP reveals all his expenses” (Echo, May 12) about Durham North’s Kevan Jones inviting The Northern Echo to view his expenses receipts dating back four years.

Who was this MP? This shining light Kevan Jones? Not the same Mr Jones who has constantly voted against and opposed the Freedom of Information Act being used to divulge MPs’ expenses to the public.

Mr Jones must have been travelling the road to Damascus recently because since April 2008 he has voted to stop information of MPs’ expenses ever reaching the public.

What a hypocrite when he says: “These expenses are going be in the public domain anyway, so I thought it was important that local people should also see them. There is nothing that the public shouldn’t see – it’s their money.”

Whoever writes the Echo Comment column (Echo, also May 12) requires a reality check when mentioning Mr Jones as a shining light. Do some research on his voting record, which was against the Freedom of Information Act being used to give free access to the public on MPs’ expenses.

AJ Cummings, Easington Miners Lodge Secretary, Easington Colliery, Peterlee, Co Durham.

SO, now it’s all coming out, the Westminster trough free-for-all.

It is unbelievable that some MPs cannot understand that what they have done is totally out of order.

I thought the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith affair over her main/second home was bad enough. But, no. It’s like reading some fictional novel, except it’s all true.

When someone deceives the taxman there is hell to pay, but not, it seems, an MP – as in the case of Hazel Blears. As she was waving her £13,332 cheque in the air – to pay capital gains tax on the sale of her second home – you could almost hear her say: “Well, easy come, easy go.”

I used to like to see Ms Blears on BBC Question Time as she seemed so genuine, but not now.

The police should now investigate these matters. If anyone is found to have gained financially out of all this, they should have all their assets taken from them, and they should be thrown in jail, because it is nothing short of criminal. Some Parliament we have.

Lawrence A McGowan, Sherburn Village, Durham.

THE media reported last Thursday on the first so-called “casualties” of the MPs’ expenses scandal.

I don’t think so. Scunthorpe Labour MP and former minister Elliot Morley and Bracknell Conservative MP Andrew Mackay are not casualties.

Mr Morley has been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party and from his post as Gordon Brown’s climate change envoy, while Mr Mackay has resigned as a Parliamentary aide to David Cameron.

But both are still MPs. Both are still being paid. Both, we can assume, are still able to claim expenses.

There will be no casualties until some of these MPs actually lose their jobs.

If I were to claim from my employer expenses I was not allowed, I would be dismissed without question – even if I offered to pay it back, stating it was claimed in error. But there you go, one rule for ordinary workers and another for our MPs.

Paul Kane, School Aycliffe, Co Durham.

THE way MPs have manipulated the expenses system, which they decided among themselves without any outside input, is nothing short of being fraudulent, but while a member of the public claiming social benefits would leave themselves open to prosecution for such abuse of public funds nothing is ever done about what our “Honourable” elected members get up to.

One law for those in power and another for the people who elect them. We need a written constitution now, drawn up by all the people – not just those within the political party select few – and after a countrywide referendum, again bypassing any decision-making by a few politicians.

We need to create a constitution that everyone has to stand by. Politicians and public alike would then come under the same laws of the land and abuse by anyone would lead to prosecution.

Peter Dolan, Newton Aycliffe, Co Durham.

MANY years ago I read the biography of a man who had officered Gurkhas in the Western Desert during the Second World War. One night, he sent a soldier out to investigate the positions of nearby Germans.

Several hours later, the Gurkha soldier returned and on doing so he emptied a cloth bag in front of the officer. The bag contained about 20 human ears and the taken-aback officer said something along the lines of: “My God, you’ve killed ten Germans and cut off their ears.”

The officer was quickly corrected by the Gurkha who explained he had only removed one ear from each of the enemy he killed. Now, if only we could use retired Gurkhas to monitor MPs’ expenses, this could kill two birds with one stone.

Martin Birtle, Billingham.

AS of last Thursday morning I had followed all The Northern Echo articles and all the letters in Hear All Sides about MPs’ expenses claims and not once did I seen the word “fraud”.

If someone claiming benefits claims something they were not entitled to, they are prosecuted for fraud. If Joe Public does not pay his dues to the Inland Revenue he may be prosecuted for fraud.

In the real world, an appearance in court would mean the money would have to be repaid, plus a fine or even a jail sentence would be imposed.

The big difference would be that, unlike the MPs, benefit cheats don’t usually have any spare money to pay the Government back.

Stella Pope, Framwellgate Moor, Durham.

■ Footnote: The “f” word has now entered the issue with the disclosure that police may launch a fraud inquiry this week (Echo, May 16).

NICE to read that Durham North West Labour MP Hilary Armstrong has a conscience (Echo, May 15). Just a pity she didn’t before claiming the £5,000 (yes, £5,000) for food over three years. Many families and pensioners would love to be in that position. I’m afraid it appears guilt by admission.

By the way, while her conscience is working, ask her to pay back the £3,703 she claimed for spouse’s travel during 2007-08.

Brian Collins, Spennymoor, Co Durham.