Leatherhead Matters

It used to be that the grandees of the political class were independently wealthy. I’m sure there were still unsavoury financial scandals but, there appears to have been a sea change over the last 15 years or so. MPs now enter Parliament with no other prior experience…and the lure is not service to their country but, now it’s the dough, the dosh, the lolly  and spondoolicks. Perhaps in a reflection of society itself, MPs are also more brazen about the way the extract our cash for their own use.

Take the example of Tory MP Derek Conway who has extracted ₤50k of tax payer’s money to pay for a research assistant. Sound legitimate? It did to me. Except the allowance was claimed to pay his 19 year old son who was in full time education at University. There is no evidence any service or, work was provided by his son.

With recent serial revelations about dodgy donations, like Peter Hain’s (who appears to have had a money laundering scheme via a Trust which did nothing but launder undeclared money to Hain), I am left with a queezy feeling about the state of our democracy.

In what appears to be a personal feeding frenzy, ethical behaviour has gone out of the Parliamentary window. MPs, out to fill their boots, have realised that there are no effective sanctions. Mr Conway for example may simply be suspended for a week or two and then is free to resume his snuffling in the trough. I sincerely hope either David Cameron or the Old Bexley & Sidcup electorate apply the ultimate sanction.

Update: Noon 29.1.07

Mr Conway has form. It has just been reported that he first started paying his family for non existent research with his eldest son, between 2001 & 2004. The pressure is mounting on Dave to demonstrate leadership rather than let this one run.