CONT'D

Cameron and Clegg have called for a dramatic reform of the system and are taking action. Brown as always wanders along in the usual incompetent manner.

Most people , including our local MP’s constituents , want a General Election. Lets have one now or stop pretending that we live in a democracy !

We have of course , got used to Michael’s changing with the wind. It was not long ago that our MP was strongly defending the MP’s “ John Lewis” list , and he opposed the “ Freedom of Information Act” applying to MP’s ( hence expenses disclosure.) Such attitudes are complicit in allowing others to abuse the system. ( See our MP’s past blogs )

In the Telegraph today we see that Mr Foster claims some £ 630 a month interest on the mortgage of his south east London flat, along with £250 a month for food , annual council tax bills , service charges and utilities bills. To put it in perspective that’s higher than the average salary of a Hastings worker.
I notice that Michael compares his additional cost allowance to selected people ..but not to such people as Jim Dobbin ( Lab MP Heywood and Middleton) , who managed his second home in London flat on £9425 , as opposed to our MP’s £ 14,990.

Despite being paid for by the public , Mr Foster still refuses to disclose his wife’s salary. Old school and not acceptable. Either you’re for disclosure or you’re not. It is of course a good wheeze to keep your own income tax down and keep the income in the family !
Whilst making out a case for MP’s salaries Michael mentions his consultancy work. But not the flat, according to MP’s disclosure, that he rents out in St Leonards. And as Michael is always mindful that an MP’s salary is “ two or three times the salary of my constituents “, his feet might be getting even more restless. As a matter of fact, an MP’s salary , when pensions and expenses are taken into consideration …are worth many multiples of the salary of the average local worker ; especially when taking into account the annual 3 months holiday !

Sadly , Michael has backed the current system and has not outrightly condemned the practices of his peers and demanded action. Again he bows to Gordon Brown …not his constituents.

I'm afraid the Labour party and government just don't "get" democracy. They seem oblivious to any sense of real personal accountability, and any "apologies" have to be wrung out of them and are offered with the maximum of reluctance.

The other day I received a circular letter from the PM which starts: "Dear Mr XXXXXX, I know that people are angry about MP's expenses. I apologise - on behalf of all parties - that the political system has let you and the public down. Whatever party they belong to, MPs should never have spent taxpayers' money on clearing moats or swimming pools, or paying phantom mortgages...."

Now this may all seem sufficiently contrite, until you actually stand back and see the cynical subtext. Yes, it's true that "paying phantom mortgages" relates to the fraud of a Labour MP, but why begin the list with the most obvious Tory transgressions: "clearing moats or swimming pools"? In other words, the subliminal message is: "We know we've done wrong, but you know we're still not as bad as the Tories". Do they really think they can fool the British electorate with this cheap shot? I can just imagine some little Labour apparatchik relishing the challenge of composing this letter - "How can we pretend to apologise while dumping most of the blame on our political opponents?"

The letter then goes on to criticise the Tories for how they apparently let people down in the last recession back in the 1990s (we won't mention of course how Labour vandalised the British economy in the 1970s).

Even in the midst of a deep political crisis for which the ruling party of the last 12 years must bear the most responsibility (as they have been running the political system) they still cannot and will not really apologise. As a former Labour voter I feel betrayed, and I believe this party deserves nothing less than severe punishment at the hands of the electorate.

There is only one way this government can prove they are sorry: call an immediate general ele

Finishing off my last message...

There is only one way this government can prove they are sorry: call an immediate general election. Anything else is just lies and deceit.

5 months on and no sign of an election......

MPs are worth every penny, especially you Michael.
But tell me this, how should we consider the salaries of our Borough Council Top 6 officers?
Should they earn what they do?
Why do the Councillors insist on keeping them in post?
Michael, can you help us get some proper leadership and management - or do we have to die in poor conditions/stress/turmoil???
We need you to exert pressure on the councillors to make the executive be EXECUTIVES!!