Transparency on expenses
July 3, 2009 12:00 AM
By David Chappell in BFP/EADT
By David Chappell in BFP/EADT
I read (BFP 26th June) with interest David Ruffley's support for real transparency with regard to MP's expenses.
He must have had a conversion on the road to Damascus as his voting record has consistently been to prevent this exposure, or not to bother voting.
On 20th April 07 there was an attempt to exempt disclosure of MP's expenses under Freedom of Information Act. Our MP was absent for that vote. That absence is however significant as a motion needs 100 MP's present in the house to vote for it so being absent is in fact a parliamentary tactic. The absence of sufficient numbers of MP's can enable a proposal to be talked out. Under the arcane systems of our government a Bill for the better governance of our country can be blocked by MP's talking about it for too long!
On 18th May the proposal went back to the Commons and David Ruffley voted to cut short the debate and then in favour of the proposal, which blocked the release of MP's expenses by exempting MP's from the Freedom of Information Act! All the Lib Dem MP's present voted to release the information.
When MP's allowances were debated on 3rd July 08 David Ruffley did not vote. When MP's financial interests were debated on 30th April David Ruffley again did not vote. There was also a further vote on establishing no lower limit for the declaration of expenses which again our MP did not take part in.
There is no great commitment to transparency in Mr Ruffley's actions in Parliament. Perhaps political survival is motivating this change of heart?
We need root and branch reform and we need it now! Not promised for the future when another safe majority will allow it be quietly shelved.
Only a hung parliament will keep our MP's on their toes and not sinking back into Parliamentary slumber!
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