Members of Parliament: Your views on expenses claim
From my experience Henry Bellingham is a diligent MP and seems to be a decent enough chap, but I still don't see why I should pay the mortgage interest on his second home.
I accept most MPs need a second London home, but if they choose to buy, surely the money claimed from the tax-payer should be repaid from the “profit” when they come to sell.
Indeed there could be a case for the taxpayer reclaiming all the proceeds less the amount put in by the MP.
MPs clearly think they are worth more than 64,000 a year – that is about twice the average wage of the rest of us.
The problem is most of them have not put their self-evaluation to the test by ever having tried to get a proper job.
And wouldn’t a higher income detatch them even more from the lives led by their electors.
In my view the fault lies in politics being seen as a profession rather than a calling.
Many MPs begin in the school debating society; move on to the political clubs at university; get research jobs in party headquarters; a safe seat in Parliament; and eventually a ministerial appointment – without ever experiencing the real world.
No wonder they accept so many imprudent procurement contracts and they grossly mismanage so many government projects.
I suggest that these and other deficiencies would be greatly mitigated against (with the additional benefit of bringing some worldly wisdom and experience) if the “cradle to the grave” regime of politics as a profession was ended by the simple expedient of raising the minimum entry age to Parliament to say, 40.
Edward Wheatley, 5A Bernard Crescent, Hunstanton
l Dear Henry Bellingham,
Hi Henry have are you, I feel great. Loved the article in the Lynn news .
It’s so good to know you’re “not worried about details” of your 140,359 in expenses you claim on top of your wage.
And I’m glad the Lynn News pointed out South West Norfolk MP ChristopherFraser claimed 153,822 expenses, a whole 13,436 more than you, bad man.
‘EGGING IT’
He should of had the “common sense” to boast about his expenses being less than North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb, but that might be seen as “over egging it”.
Most of all I would like to thank you personally for renewing my interests in politics.
As a young man I always wondered why one would become an MP when you can earn more in the private sector – maybe the gratification you would get from a job were you can make a real difference to people’s lives.
Having seen yourself smiling on the front page of my local paper gloating about your “expenses” only being 140,359 and taking a wage, I totally understand.
In fact could you email me advice on how one would go about getting a ticket for this gravy train.
Disillusioned constituent, Lynn
l I was interested to read in the Lynn News on Friday that our local MP Henry Bellingham now recognises the “real anger and concern” about MPs’ expenses, and says “we must devise a better system”.
While he is of course right to say that the current system needs to be changed, his voting record on the subject, which is available for all to see at www.theyworkforyou.com, tells a rather different story.
In April 2007 Mr. Bellingham voted to try to keep all MPs’ expenses secret by making them exempt from freedom of information rules.
In July 2008 he voted against external audits for MPs’ expenses, against asking MPs to produce receipts for purchases under 25, and against stopping MPs from using their expenses to buy furniture for their second homes.
I am pleased our MP has finally come round to recognising that the shameful Parliamentary expenses system is beyond the pale.
I hope however that he will back up his words with actions in future House of Commons votes and support full transparency of MPs’ expenses.
William Summers, 14 Dale End, Brancaster Staithe, on behalf of North West Norfolk Liberal Democrats
l WHILE the country strives to cope with recession and cut corners to cope with mounting debt, MPs fiddle their expenses at the further cost to the rest of us.
If David Cameron thinks he has pulled himself from the mire by telling his own party to repay the discrepancies, he has a poor opinion of the electorate, as do the rest of the parties. No, we are not so gullible.
Personally, I won’t be voting for any of them. If I want a tree cut down David I do it myself or pay someone to do it for me- with my OWN money, which you should have done in the first place not after you have been found out!
They now look for scapegoats in the name of a newspaper apology and police action towards the whistle blower.
Do they honestly think this will endear them to the public?
ALISON PAWLEY, Tennyson Avenue, Lynn
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for King's Lynn
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
