Two Jags? Two Homes? I’m too angry to listen anymore.
Lets face it, everyone’s pissed. Pardon if my language is crude there, but I don’t think I’m simply capturing the mood of the ‘youth’ over the Parliamentary expenses scandal when I use that phrase. EVERYONE is quite simply pissed.
And we have a right to be. When the news first started breaking, me being me (as everyone at C21 Towers would attest to) started with the devil’s advocate card. My line of thinking was everyone uses expense accounts to some extent to make life easier - when they are on offer. However, I must admit that I’m now in a state of shock; almost catatonic with fear that so many of our elected Parliamentarians were fixing the system in such a way. In terms of ‘sleaze’ it sort of makes Mark Oaten’s affair with a rent boy look like something that shouldn’t have derailed his campaign for the Liberal Democrat leadership. I cannot see a time when this issue will be completely put to rest.
The last 72 hours has been something special. I’m not trying to fan the flames here, but this will not end without someone going to prison. Elliot Morley is a good example. Earlier today the Taxpayers Alliance took the news that he was claiming allowance on a home that had no mortgage to the police. That is fraud of a very tall order. Andrew Mackay and Julie Kirkbride’s ‘stunt’ of claiming mortgage interest on their London home and constituency home is another one of my personal favourites. For any MP’s reading who might have a crush on a fellow MP – right there is a great reason not to get involved with one another, expenses become too complicated and the temptation to screw over your constituents in what is probably the most shameful way.
But in all seriousness, all this talk of changing the system and everyone in SW1 now piping up and screaming for quick alterations is irrelevant. The system in itself wasn’t bad. Like many of our Parliamentary processes its there to allow flexibility and puts the faith in the people that lead this country above the laws they make. That in the past has been the great thing about our country. Our leaders and representatives have taken pride in all that is around them, all that makes this country Britain. It seems that in the last ten years, as our nations identity has ebbed away so has the decency of its spokespersons. If I hear one more utterance from David Cameron coming up with some hair brained and stupid populist scheme like a real time internet database updating expenses I think I will laugh, scream and then get a flight out of this country. Cameron’s false sense of urgency to take the bull-by-the horns over this is only matched by Prime Minister Brown’s inept ability to lead. The man has frozen. He has gone from being a man of few words to being a man of no words. May his next sentence be the only decent thing – ‘I dissolve this Parliament’.
Because of course, dissolving Parliament as the next possible opportunity might actually be the one thing that gets some confidence back in the system. Whats more, it might lead to the highest turnout we’ve had in a General Election for sometime. Obviously we can’t have a June election because of the European polling, but Brown – if he is still a decent man – should be looking for an opportunity in or around September. If Brown wants a little selfish impetus (and after all selfish will be the word that defines his Premiership) this whole nonsense might actually benefit Labour in some strange way, in as much as it’s going to damage the Tories and their moats. Therefore, polling data right now is going to be going haywire! There's nothing but a lot of hate – someone should start taking bets again on a hung Parliament.
Rectifying trust can only begin by Parliament putting itself in the hands of the electorate as soon as possible. Until then, any apology or hollow ‘paying back’ gesture will echo around an empty room and this country will become more and more ungovernable.
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Reply #1 on : Sat May 16, 2009, 08:14:41