So What Do MPs Do?

Richard North, over at EUReferendum, has a very good post with some important points. He mainly details the fact that the day after a defence procurement debate the MOD announced orders amounting to £1billion - none of which had actually been debated by MPs.

Couple the above with a briefing paper by Open Europe, entitled Out of Control (a title 'nicked' from UKIP? - but we will let that pass). From their report, bear the following in mind:

Meanwhile, the estimated cumulative cost of regulations introduced in the UK between 1998
and 2008 is £148.2 billion. This is the equivalent of 10% of GDP.

Taking the cumulative cost estimates, EU legislation since 1998 has cost the UK 23% more
than the UK’s total gross contributions to the EU budget over the period 1998-2008

If the current flow of regulation continues, by 2018, the cost of EU legislation introduced since
1998 will have risen to more than £356 billion. This is around £14,300 per British household. For the same amount, the UK Government could pay off almost 60% of the national debt, or abolish income tax for 2 years and still leave the Treasury with a surplus.

Don't recall these little 'tit bits' (not sure if that is one word or two, but hey - they tend to come in twos, normally) of information being aired by anyone during the Budget debate? Is this not a subject our MPs should be concerned about? Why not?

When one considers the leaked e-mail from Laurence Robertson (Conservative) it only serves to increase my personal incandescence with MPs of his thinking. Whilst I cannot be bothered to pull the content of his e-mail to shreds, his words at the end are enough to make anyone see red!

Quote: "I certainly do not intend to become personally poorer at this stage of my career." Unquote. If that is how he feels, then votes willing, perhaps he may have the opportunity of ensuring this does not happen by trying another occupation!

It is obvious that it is not just the question of MPs salaries/allowances/expenses that needs reform but the entire workings of Parliament and the calibre of those within it!

And to do that properly - We need to get out of the European Union!