Tuesday, April 21, 2009
MP pay & allowances - action now please!
I'm glad that Gordon Brown has announced that he is pushing ahead with major reforms to the system for MP and allowances, and that he will be asking Parliament to vote on them next week. I haven't seen all the details, but they seem very similar to the ones I called for on my website a few weeks ago. Here's a link to the full proposals from the government. (I see that the Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life has warned against a 'quick fix' - I beg to disagree - the issues are really quite simple, and they do need to dealt with asap to repair the damage done not just to MPs but the whole political process). I don't think the public will want to wait too long.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Around the constituency - and remembering a leading Nationalist
Parliament is back in session this week, but I thought I would just give a brief update on some of the things I've been up to over the last few days. Friday was a busy day - I didn't have surgeries the previous week because of Easter, and I was expecting a fairly busy caseload, but in fact it wasn't much more than normal, about 15 cases in all. However, the day had been busy - starting at 8.30 am with a meeting with the press about the new plans for a Leith Museum which were announcing that evening, 9.30 am a visit organised by the Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition to Six Marys Place in Stockbridge in my constituency - a very successful guest house which is run as a 'social firm'.
Thereafter I went to the service of thanksgiving in memory of Neil McCormick, who had died after a long fight with cancer. I had known Neil in a number of ways - as one of the many thousands of students who had been taught by him over the years, as someone who, although a long-standing leading member of the SNP, was nevertheless happy to work with those in other parties on issues of common concern - and as a political opponent (we had both stood - unsuccessfully! - in past general elections in Edinburgh Pentlands consituency). I had a great deal of respect for him.
Later on, I met with a group of officers from the City Council, Tie (the tram company), and the tram contractors to raise issues of concern about pedestrian safety along the tram routes - covered at more length on my website here - and then it was four hours of surgeries! And finally, the Leith museum presentation.
Saturday I took off for a family day out - and Sunday morning first thing was family as well, at one of my children's football games (but I won't say much about that as I have a megagrumpy reader of this blog who complains when I do!) - but after that a very enjoyable constituency engagement when I joined several hundred members of Edinburgh's Sikh community for their now traditional Vaisakhi celebration march through the streets of Leith to and from their Gurdwara (temple).
Finally, I used the good weather for a few hours campaigning in West Pilton along with Malcolm Chisholm and some of our Labour team. Quite a good response considering this has not been too good a couple of weeks for Labour!
Thereafter I went to the service of thanksgiving in memory of Neil McCormick, who had died after a long fight with cancer. I had known Neil in a number of ways - as one of the many thousands of students who had been taught by him over the years, as someone who, although a long-standing leading member of the SNP, was nevertheless happy to work with those in other parties on issues of common concern - and as a political opponent (we had both stood - unsuccessfully! - in past general elections in Edinburgh Pentlands consituency). I had a great deal of respect for him.
Later on, I met with a group of officers from the City Council, Tie (the tram company), and the tram contractors to raise issues of concern about pedestrian safety along the tram routes - covered at more length on my website here - and then it was four hours of surgeries! And finally, the Leith museum presentation.
Saturday I took off for a family day out - and Sunday morning first thing was family as well, at one of my children's football games (but I won't say much about that as I have a megagrumpy reader of this blog who complains when I do!) - but after that a very enjoyable constituency engagement when I joined several hundred members of Edinburgh's Sikh community for their now traditional Vaisakhi celebration march through the streets of Leith to and from their Gurdwara (temple).
Finally, I used the good weather for a few hours campaigning in West Pilton along with Malcolm Chisholm and some of our Labour team. Quite a good response considering this has not been too good a couple of weeks for Labour!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
After the G20 - and emails
As I mentioned below, I had planned to say something about the significance of the G20 meeting (and I think it was very significant). I will still do that, but I don't think it's possible to do that without first mentioning the event that has overshadowed the G20 in London, the death of Ian Tomlinson, the passer-by who was shown on a video which has gone round the world being struck by a policeman. He later died. I've backed the calls for an independent inquiry - more details on my website.
I've had a lot of emails about this, and one of those which made the most impact was from someone who themselves had 3 close relatives who are police officers. She felt that it was in the interests of the police service themselves that this incident is properly investigated - I agree - I know how much our local police officers do for our community. I also realise that policing large demonstrations isn't easy, but there can be no excuse for unprovoked violence, which the video strongly suggests was the case. And that's why we need a proper investigation, and appropriate action to follow - for the good name of the police, the public, and of course, and not least, for the family of Mr Tomlinson.
The other news over the last few days, of course, has been the emails from the sacked No 10 adviser. Like everyone else I know in the Labour Party, I am utterly shocked by what has emerged - these actions are totally reprehensible, and there's nothing that can be said to defend those responsible. The Labour Party should keep well away from those who have done this.
I've had a lot of emails about this, and one of those which made the most impact was from someone who themselves had 3 close relatives who are police officers. She felt that it was in the interests of the police service themselves that this incident is properly investigated - I agree - I know how much our local police officers do for our community. I also realise that policing large demonstrations isn't easy, but there can be no excuse for unprovoked violence, which the video strongly suggests was the case. And that's why we need a proper investigation, and appropriate action to follow - for the good name of the police, the public, and of course, and not least, for the family of Mr Tomlinson.
The other news over the last few days, of course, has been the emails from the sacked No 10 adviser. Like everyone else I know in the Labour Party, I am utterly shocked by what has emerged - these actions are totally reprehensible, and there's nothing that can be said to defend those responsible. The Labour Party should keep well away from those who have done this.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
MP allowances - and the G20
Last week, we had a family bereavement, and I've not been blogging for the last few days. Coming back to Westminster, there are two issues dominating the news - the
G20, and 'MPs expenses'. I'll be saying something about G20 later, but I thought I should say something about the issue of 'MP expenses' as clearly it does raise important issues about the way MPs behave, and how they are accountable to the public for the money we receive.
I haven't done much on the blog before on the issue of MP allowances (and it is 'allowances' of course, not expenses - like most MPs, most of the money I receive goes on the costs of running an office and paying my staff - there's a breakdown on my main website), because I spend most of my time on either constituency issues or the various policy issues in which I am interested. But given some of the recent well publicised cases, I thought I should put down my views, and also say something about my own allowances, because I know they've gone up in the year for which figures have just reported.
On the wider issue, I think there is no doubt that MPs have got to sort out the rules and make sure we have a set of rules which the public find acceptable and stop any excesses. I've been in favour for a long time of publishing details of our allowances, and I also voted to scrap the entitlement of MPs from outer London to claim a 'second home' allowance the last time we had a vote on the issue. In my website, I give details of my views on how the system should be reformed.
As far as my own allowances and expenses are concerned, the main reason why my claim for allowances went up was that one of my staff was off on sick leave for a considerable period, which was why I claimed an extra £5300 or so for staff cover. And as anyone in the constituency will know, I opened a new office at the beginning of 2008, and there were a lot of fitting out costs involved in converting what was basically a 'shell'. Overall, about 80% of the sums which the media describe as 'expenses' were spent directly on staff (I have three full-time and one part-time), office costs, and communication costs.
As far as the expenses which personally affect me, my travel claim was one of the lowest in Scotland, mainly because most of my journeys round the constituency are made by bus, bike or on foot. In keeping with my efforts to keep down my 'carbon footprint', about 70% of my journeys to and from London were made by train, and 30% by air.
My claim for a 'second home' did go up, although still some way off the maximum, because I incurred an unexpectedly high legal bill in connection with the the ground lease for my London flat (which is the one for which I reclaim the cost of mortgage interest).
I realise this won't satisfy those who think all MPs should travel to London by overnight bus and stay in hostels when we are here, but hopefully it will satisfy more reasonable enquirers!
G20, and 'MPs expenses'. I'll be saying something about G20 later, but I thought I should say something about the issue of 'MP expenses' as clearly it does raise important issues about the way MPs behave, and how they are accountable to the public for the money we receive.
I haven't done much on the blog before on the issue of MP allowances (and it is 'allowances' of course, not expenses - like most MPs, most of the money I receive goes on the costs of running an office and paying my staff - there's a breakdown on my main website), because I spend most of my time on either constituency issues or the various policy issues in which I am interested. But given some of the recent well publicised cases, I thought I should put down my views, and also say something about my own allowances, because I know they've gone up in the year for which figures have just reported.
On the wider issue, I think there is no doubt that MPs have got to sort out the rules and make sure we have a set of rules which the public find acceptable and stop any excesses. I've been in favour for a long time of publishing details of our allowances, and I also voted to scrap the entitlement of MPs from outer London to claim a 'second home' allowance the last time we had a vote on the issue. In my website, I give details of my views on how the system should be reformed.
As far as my own allowances and expenses are concerned, the main reason why my claim for allowances went up was that one of my staff was off on sick leave for a considerable period, which was why I claimed an extra £5300 or so for staff cover. And as anyone in the constituency will know, I opened a new office at the beginning of 2008, and there were a lot of fitting out costs involved in converting what was basically a 'shell'. Overall, about 80% of the sums which the media describe as 'expenses' were spent directly on staff (I have three full-time and one part-time), office costs, and communication costs.
As far as the expenses which personally affect me, my travel claim was one of the lowest in Scotland, mainly because most of my journeys round the constituency are made by bus, bike or on foot. In keeping with my efforts to keep down my 'carbon footprint', about 70% of my journeys to and from London were made by train, and 30% by air.
My claim for a 'second home' did go up, although still some way off the maximum, because I incurred an unexpectedly high legal bill in connection with the the ground lease for my London flat (which is the one for which I reclaim the cost of mortgage interest).
I realise this won't satisfy those who think all MPs should travel to London by overnight bus and stay in hostels when we are here, but hopefully it will satisfy more reasonable enquirers!
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