Basic Point On MP's Salaries/Allowances/Expenses

Mark Field, MP for the Cities of London and Westminster, has a post on ConHome, at 11.30am, in which he states:

"At the very heart of the problem over allowances and expenses is the fact that repeatedly parliament has failed to bite the bullet and increase MPs’ salaries. Thereby a green light has been given to the culture of racking up the expenses and allowances system as a way of playing catch up."

A number of points Mark Field should note.

1. Why should MP's salaries be subject to an increase? It is now acknowledged that MPs are only responsible for 20/25 per cent of this country's laws, the remainder being decided by the European Union.

2. If a 'green light' has been given to the culture of racking up expenses and allowances system then where was the Parliamentary watch-dog? Asleep on the job, it would seem.

3. When Parliament is 'back in control' of governing this country, then please do come to the taxpayers, who fund your salary, and ask us whether you can have a pay rise.

4. Should not those that decide an MP's salary, allowances and expenses be those that employ them?

5. Gordon Brown, in his speech today at St Pauls, has just said that instead of serving themselves bankers should serve their customers. When MPs adopt that same attitude please follow the procedure outlined in 3 above.

Until MPs can meet the provisions outlined above, may I suggest to Mark Field that he and his colleagues stop their 'bleating'.