Left Foot Forward editor James Bloodworth has come up with three things which parliament must consider in light of the latest scandal around MPs and their expenses.
Left Foot Forward editor James Bloodworth has come up with three things which parliament must consider in light of the latest scandal around MPs and their expenses
The scandal around Maria Miller’s expenses claims rumbles on, with 69 per cent of Conservative supporters now saying that Maria Miller should resign. Whether she stays or she goes, however, the issue of the culture secretary’s expenses claims (and subsequent curt apology) has thrown a light once again on the political system – as well as public antipathy towards it.
On a more positive note, it’s also provided space for a few pressing policy-related arguments; and I’ve come up with three things which I think parliament should now look at in light of the latest scandal around MPs and their expenses.
1) Reform the Standards Committee
Either take away the power of the Standards Committee to rule on MPs expenses or grant lay members the same voting rights as MPs, as suggested by Kevin Barron the body’s Labour MP. MPs should not be policing their own expenses claims, and the fact that they appear still to be doing so will only add to public cynicism about our elected representatives.
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards had initially asked culture secretary Maria Miller to repay £45,000 expenses claimed on a five-bedroom house that was sold at a profit of £1 million. However the Standards Committee overruled the watchdog, and reduced the amount Miller should pay to £5,800. The committee consists of 10 MPs and three lay members, but only MPs get a vote. MPs are still voting on their own peers’ expenses claims, in other words.
2) Bring in a genuine right to recall
As Tory MP Zac Goldsmith has pointed out, we already have an independent body uniquely qualified to pass judgement on MPs: it’s called the electorate. If a seismic scandal results in a majority of constituents losing confidence in their MP they should have a right to remove the MP in question sooner rather than later. They should not have to wait one, two, even perhaps five years until a General Election to do so.
The Conservative 2010 manifesto as well as the coalition document included commitments to introduce the right to recall MPs, yet the government appears to have kicked the issue into the long grass. The Maria Miller scandal demonstrates once more the need for greater MP accountability to the electorate.
3) Forget about politicians regulating the press
Last week the Daily Telegraph released an audio recording of Maria Miller’s special adviser implying that a reporter should back off from an investigation into the culture secretary’s expenses because (nod, wink) she would be the MP that would be deciding on the future of the free press.
“I should just flag up as well, while you’re on it that when she doorstepped him, she got Maria’s father, who’s just had a [removed] and come out of [removed]. And Maria has obviously been having quite a lot of editors’ meetings around Leveson at the moment. So I am just going to flag up that connection for you to think about.”
Labour MP John Mann was clear about what was going on in the above conversation:
“People reading these letters will see that the culture secretary was trying to use political influence to affect the outcome of this investigation and, for this reason, is no longer fit to have responsibility to ensure a free press.”
The implied threat from Miller’s special adviser was obvious, and should now act as a warning to those who are still relaxed about the prospect of politicians overseeing the press in Britain in a way that allows them to lean on journalists when they read something they don’t like.
To reach hundreds of thousands of new readers and to make the biggest impact we can in the next general election, we need to grow our donor base substantially.
That's why in 2024, we are seeking to generate 150 additional regular donors to support Left Foot Forward's work.
We still need another 124 people to donate to hit the target. You can help. Donate today.
2 Responses to “Three things that need to happen in light of the Maria Miller scandal”
Didymus
1.I would certainly support the notion of a right of recall.There ought to be no foot dragging over this.
2. The Committee on Standards – This decision making still seems too opaque. Much has been made of the reduction in the proposed amount Ms. Miller was set to pay back, but there is little but speculation over why that reduction was made. Chair of Committee and IPSA commissioner have both gone on record as saying that this was due to new evidence offered by Ms. Miller. Regardless, just allowing the 3 lay members the vote does not really change the dynamic of MPs voting on their own; They still form the overwhelming majority.Is the Committees report and voting recorded and reported publicly? I would favour scrapping this committee personally; Leave it entirely to IPSA, with MPs having some kind of right of appeal.
3.Press regulation – I really do not see this demon of “politicians overseeing the press” that those in the press often try to present;Given what I understand of the proposals regardiing a Royal Charter, politicians would be very hands off. I want the press to be regulated; far too often they have ridden roughshod over the rights of individuals in pursuit of stories that a venal public might be interested in, but often are not in the public interest. The Press have proven incapable of regulating themselves, rather like MPS – Independent bodies should have oversight of both.
davidhill
The whole system has to be overhauled as these MPs are just laughing at the electorate and never take any notice to change their ways. Indeed they can only have a corrupt mind to keep these self-serving rules that allow the public purse to be fleeced time and time again.
This woman is a disaster for the conservative’s 2015 election hopes.
But to say that Cameron is the leader of the Conservatives he has not the wit to realise the great damage that this Miller case is doing to the 2015 Election result. Indeed if he cannot see this he should be sacked as well as Miller. The none use of common sense and cutting ones throat appear to be a trait of Cameron and this will lead to an election disaster for the party. Get real Mr Cameron is my advice and loyalty has no part in winning elections if that loyalty has a devastating effect in the minds of the electorate.
The latest fallout is that Boris Johnson is defending this women as well and where this shows he too is not prime minister material. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot and where it appears that these people have no intelligence at all. Just shows what idiots we have either running government or have ambitions to do so.