At whose expense..??????

No matter which way you cut it, the row over MP's expenses stinks. These people have been elected to office to represent the people and all the indications are that they have been manipulating the system for their own benefit and greed. "Greed is good" you might argue like Gordon Gekko in the movie Wall Street but the difference is these people actually MAKE THE RULES and lecture the rest of us about obeying the law and paying our taxes. How can society function properly when the very people who should be showing leadership are grabbing all they can. MP's have consistently opposed transparency until they were forced to do so under the Freedom of Information Act, under pressure from campaign groups and concerned individuals.

There is an old saying that, in a democracy you get the politicians you deserve. Now that we know what they've been up top there may be a few politicians looking for a new job following the next election.

However, there is another side to all this. The MP's salary was introduced to allow the poor to be elected. Previously only the rich could afford to be represented and we must never revert to that situation. What we need is:-

1) An independent commitee to establish a fair and reasonable salary for MP's comparable to the private and public sector.

2) A fixed annual expense allowance for travel and overnight stays.

3) No second homes allowance; if they need somewhere to stay in London on a regular basis then they can rent or stay in a hotel.

4) The creation of a fully equipped and serviced MP's hostel near Westminster.

5) Full transparency of MP's earnings and expenses.

In order to preserve our Democracy and restore the faith of the electorate we demand nothing less.