Speculation about a stalking-horse to run against Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown makes me think it is time to rally round our Leader. I was asked on Sky TV the day Mr Brown announced on You Tube his commitment to reform of MPs expenses what I thought. Without any briefing to shape my reply, I said repeatedly I thought it was the right thing for a Prime Minister to do, when it was so obvious that public hostility to MPs' extravagent and inappropriate expense claims had to be addressed.
There may be disagreements about defining out of town MPs legitimate expenses and how they should be reimbursed. But there shouldn't be any doubt that MPs living in easy commuting distance should not be entitled to a second homes allowance, or that incomes from other employment should be declared in full or that MPs office staff should be direct employees of the House. Indeed, the Conservative front bench is reported here as supporting all those parts of the Prime Minister's proposal.
And for the avoidance of doubt was the interim per diem allowance such a bad idea pending the outcome of the inquiry by the Committee on Standards in Public Life? Given that the House will be in recess most of the time before that Committee reports, MPs would not be eligible for the allowance as soon as the long, oh, so long summer recess starts, anyway. Though I am assuming Sir Christopher Kelly is going to get on with taking evidence and making recommendations sooner rather than later.
Mr Brown should be given full credit for having forced a vote on those issues now. We in the Labour Party, especially on its National Executive Committee, should be mapping out how we can use this initiative, the introduction of the 50p tax rate, imminent withdrawal from Iraq, and the forthcoming Euro-elections (amongst other things) to reconnect with Labour voters. How else are we going to reverse an 11-year trend in declining membership and win back millions of voters?
Personally, I hope that the Chief Whip's office is lining up Labour ministers and any Labour MPs seeking re-election, to repay taxpayers' money that the court of public opinion regards as 'larding it'. Voluntary repayments by any other member of the PLP (not covered above) would be widely welcomed as a means of restoring our elected representatives' sullied reputations.
Update 1236 - apparently David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party has bottled out of supporting the PM over second incomes. Hat-tip Labourboy