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It's Our Money, Account For It

The Taxpayers' Alliance are currently hosting a petition. It is based on the idea that Parliament once presented Kings with, before Parliament started acting like an arm of the political-media aristocracy (and I write that as someone called to the Bar beneath a huge portrait of Charles I).

The idea is that the money MPs claim in expenses belongs to the people, every penny of it, and the people have a right to ask where it went.

I don't want to see MPs reveal what they spend their salary on. I don't want to ban them from outside earnings either, if they can earn any. I do want to see them declare their taxes and expenses, though, and the numbers and locations of the houses they bought or rented with my money.

If you do, too, here is the link. It's our money. Ask.

h/t The Devil's Kitchen

Comments

Anonymous said…
The Taxpayers' Alliance is part of the Stockholm Network - a neo-liberal think-tank. It's very cosy with all sorts of big businesses and 'entrepreneuers' eager to get their claws into public property through skillful use of the media and other (justified) public grievances (such as MP's expenses). Don't be fooled by them - they have more in mind than an accountable parliament.
10:51 am
Martin Meenagh said…
I didn't know that. I think that people do have a right to see what people are spending money on.

At the same time, I have been home this weekend, and heard stories of how Phil Hope--who is one of the people whom the press are trying to hang for the expenses scandal, and by no means the worst--tried to do well for people and is recovering from cancer, so may have been confused by a confusing system.

Any port in a storm though, anonymous--which of the main parties was calling for transparency and not blocking it by inaction lately? We need fewer MPs, radically curtailed expenses, primaries and an alternative vote. And recall elections. And we need to get rid of half the councillors and a good few of the ministries in the country. Just as a start....

Many thanks for your comment. As for the danger of public business being cut up by the markets, I have a feeling (you may know more than I) that the markets are bust and that no public sell-off can be justified for some years. That doesn't mean Labour or the Tories won't try.
5:04 pm
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