Politics will take years to recover
Wednesday 4th November 2009, 9:58AM GMT.
With any unfolding, continually developing story, there comes a point eventually when those who are interested are outweighed by those who have become bored by the whole thing.
The MPs’ expenses scandal has been rumbling on for months. Unfortunately, from the MPs’ point of view, the public has not yet taken its eye off the ball.
It remains angry at the abuse of taxpayers’ money, the flipping of mortgages, cleaning of moats, and all the rest of it.
Just as it will take a generation for the public to have confidence in bankers again, so it could well take a generation for MPs to recover their standing which, the nature of politics being what it is, was never that high anyway.
Not everybody had their snout in the trough. But enough did to lower the reputation of Parliament generally. They were merely taking advantage of a lax system. They did it because they could do it.
The new rules for MPs’ expenses being outlined today are a case of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. In any event, they have been met by a barrage of whingeing and wriggling. Honourable members don’t like the underlying assumption that they are dishonourable members, out for what they can get.
This, though, is the impression, unfair as it may be, that has been created by the revelations of excesses.
Reform of the system is the start of a long battle to win back public trust.
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the publics faith in the government,like you say was never held in much regard anyway,& the rescent proving of miss use of taxpayers money is what we’ve all thaught’s been happening for many years.
the government is meant to be for the people,yet we have no say other than who gets voted in,which does’nt matter as their all as useless as eachother.i hav’nt bothered voting for 20 years as it makes no difference anymore.
i also think our royal monarchy is a waste of space & money.
the uk is a sinking ship,with the queens face stuck on the front,a blind pirate government at the helm,& if i had somewhere to swim to i’d abandon ship.
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Come the next election all will be forgotten as people glibbly vote Conservative without remembering many of their candidates were involved in the expenses fiasco.
Oh what short memories we have………
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Agree with every word bob except that relating to the monarchy – albeit I have some reservations on it.
The greatest insult to the electorate however is what has just been put forward by the Jebb enquiry, he allows 5 YEARS for some of the most heinous abuses to end like employing spouses and other relatives, claiming mortgage interest relief etc etc etc. What other job would allow this, someone in commerce or industry would be told one day that they are redundant and they would leave the next day or week. 5 Years is longer than what the current hoo haa is all about, the audit of MPs expenses was only for a four year period and in that time they rooked it wicked with Jacqui Smith pocketing £116,000 alone for her second house.
These rules should take IMMEDIATE affect, why should I help to pay for an MPs second house for the next 5 years, why should I help to pay for a husband or wife earning £40,000 a year for the next 5 years. It is still an utter disgrace and we the electorate are insulted at every turn.
Short of rebellion and “Mutiny on the Buses”, I see no way of us having anything approaching an honest, open and trustworthy Government.
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