MPs on the fiddle, write to yours?

[matgb]

I guess an advantage of moving to a new area is not knowing exactly how your MP will react. My old one was Adrian, who I trusted before I got to know him and I got involved in party politics again, but my new one? She's one of the Labour "awkward squad", but I never know on what issue she's going to rebel. Problem of course being that Gordon Brown is to order Labour MPs to back a controversial plan to exempt details of MPs' expenses from the Freedom of Information Act. And she's been absent for most previous votes on this issue.

She first was elected in 1997, and the Freedom of Information Act was, to me, a crucial part of the Labour 1997 manifesto. While there is a lot of overblown hype about MPs expense claims, there has been some corruption, and there are some stupidities; I agree completely with Jennie when she says stuff like You pay peanuts, and you get Hazel Blears. And Derek Conway, frantically defrauding the expenses system. Lets at least pay bananas and get apes ;) or:

I am one of those rare people who thinks that MPs should be paid a lot more than they currently are for basic salary - on the grounds that if we want the best people to represent us, we should pay the sort of wages that will attract the best - but I also think that people HUGELY resent the fact that MPs get to claim expenses for the sort of things that normal people have to buy from their own wage.

ETA: Brown has backed down. Good. caramel_betty thinks Whips tell Brown rebellion will be BIG. No, bigger than BIG. HUGEMONGANTIC. Still worth writing to them, they'll try and do something else. Rest of original entry below:

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So I've used the incredibly useful tool that WriteToThem has created with information and links to create this letter to her, which I'm reprinting below:

Dear Chris McCafferty,

As a recently arrived resident, I've been fairly happy to know you're my new MP, especially for your work on the Fertilisation and Embryology Bill (for which many thanks), but I now feel it's necessary to contact you directly.

The proposals announced this week to be voted on tomorrow regarding the disclosure of MPs expenses strike me as entirely the wrong approach. There has definitely been a degree of press hysteria surrounding MPs expenditure, and I've long supported the ideal of reforming the system to make it more equitable and less open to abuse.

But for the Govt to decide to hide all expenses claims, rather than to genuinely reform the system, will appear to the nation at large as being fundamentally anti-democratic, and against the principles of the Freedom of Information Act that was a cornerstone of the 1997 manifesto you were elected on.

I'm aware you're not keen on rebelling on every issue, and I respect your honesty over this, but please consider voting against this proposal; it is regrettable that it has become a partisan issue but that is the nature of the House.

Yours sincerely,

Mat Bowles

Most of you don't get that involved in politics, I know; I have to work hard at times to overcome the cynicism that the current system engenders: I got involved as it palpably needs to be changed damnit! But this really does matter, to me, it's an attempt to make the house even less transparent and will lead to more cynicism. Please:

If you live in the UK, take 5 minutes of your time

Use the easy tool with links and info that MySociety have created and contact your MP asking them to vote against this measure.

Comments

[caramel-betty.livejournal.com]

Problem of course being that Gordon Brown is to order Labour MPs to back a controversial plan to exempt details of MPs' expenses from the Freedom of Information Act.

No he isn't. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7842402.stm)

[matgb]

Yeah, I think we just commented on each others entries at the same time.

Editing within 10 minutes of posting is a record even for me. It's still worth writing though, just to let feelings be known.

[loveandgarbage.livejournal.com]

In relation to the previous votes on the topic it's important to remember that some MPs played the game well, and didn't vote for the previous McLean bill to exclude MPs from FoI, but instead voted in favour of the multiple closure motions (previously an unheard of procedural use to have 3 in one session) to force the final vote. They then absented themselves from the main vote - thereby misleadingly appearing to their electorate to be neutral on the proposal.

I posted a couple of times on this in 2007 at http://loveandgarbage.livejournal.com/140969.html and http://loveandgarbage.livejournal.com/141119.html with the procedural history. the second post names those that didn't vote in favour, but supported the closure motion.

Scott

[matgb]

Interesting. McCafferty isn't on the list at all, which is good to see.

There are some daft procedures in the HoC, but the abuse of them is annoying.

[paulatpingu.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, Ben Bradshaw does what he's told. Pretty much all the time, and mostly regardless of what else seems to be going on around him.

6 rebel votes in five years. Worrying.

[matgb]

Well, sorta. He's a minister, so bound by collective responsibilty.

Theoretically, ministers work out policy collegiately, then all agree to vote on the policies they've agreed to. Nowadays when you accept a ministerial job you agree to vote with the Govt on all things.

That it hasn't worked properly for decades isn't a reason to criticise ministers for doing the "if I don't do this I get sacked".

Ministers (even useless still in the junior ranks smarmy gits like him) resigning on an issue is big news, I doubt any of them would jump over this. Which is another reason to make sure he's out at the next GE.

[srk1.livejournal.com]

My MP is also one of the awkward squad, with the effect that I rarely ever contact her because on the occasions I have, she already agrees with my concern and is planning to raise it (or to vote in the appropriate way).

It was more fun when my MP was Roger Godsiff, who is occasionally rebellious but will essentially do whatever is in the best interest of his biraderis and is somewhat indifferent to what non-Muslims think. At least there there was an opportunity to make a persuasive case.

[srk1.livejournal.com]

Actually that's not entirely fair - he did say something fairly egregious about immigration before the 2005 election in order to shore up his vote in the one white working class ward in Sparkbrook and Small Heath, but that ward goes out of his new constituency and the majority of white voters in his new seat will be middle class.