The negative and often scandalous stories that seem to be constantly dominating the media relate in the main to the expenses, which some Members of Parliament claim for undertaking their duties. The area , which seems to be the most contentious being the claims relating to second homes.
The defence that is most often trotted out is that the Member of Parliament has done nothing wrong as the claims are within the “letter of the law” and do not break the rules. Whilst, they may well be “within the letter of the law” I honestly believe that they are firmly outside of the spirit of that same law and that this fact is apparent to the average person in the street even if it is not apparent to those claiming the money. And it is the seeming inability of those claiming the money to understand how offensive their actions appear to the average person that is so damaging to the democratic process.
Whatever ones political leanings may be, one thing that can not be denied is the harm and damage that these stories are causing to the public's trust and belief in the integrity of their elected representatives. As well as harm that is also caused as the negative effects further undermine our desire to engage in the democratic process. I am truly dispirited, though not surprised at the number of times I have heard people say to me “why should we vote when our elected representatives act like charlatans and treat us like idiots”.

In my opinion we seem to have reached a point whereby many Members of Parliament no longer seem able either to connect with the people they claim to represent or understand and empathise with the justifiable frustration the people feel over these issues. The fact that some Members of Parliament continue to act in this manner when many of their constituents are being made redundant and are fearful of being able to provide for their families simply beggars belief.

It is obvious that with public interest and involvement in political process at a seemingly all time low this is a state of affairs that simply cannot be allowed to continue and needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency now! There needs to be a thorough and comprehensive review of the allowances and expenses that Members of Parliament are allowed to claim and the procedures by which such claims and allowances are scrutinised. This review must be undertaken as a matter of extreme urgency, conducted with the utmost transparency and be truly independent of Parliament. It is also essential that the recommendations are realistic and take account of both the economic climate and more importantly the revulsion that the public rightly feel over these abuses. The suggestion that has been put forward by some Members of Parliament that the best way to resolve this problem is for Members of Parliament to award themselves a pay rise in excess of £20,000 is just another example of the disconnect that has occurred between some of our elected representatives and the people they claim to represent.

It is only by taking decisive action, action that acknowledges and reflects the depth of public feeling that we will stand any chance of elected representatives reconnecting with the public and restablishing that bond of trust that is so essential in ensuring a vibrant and effective democratic process.Now, whilst the review that I have mentioned is clearly essential our elected representatives cannot afford to stand back and wait for it to happen, we are past that point.

1. Firstly, I believe that all Members of Parliament must publish on their website a complete break down of all the funding they receive for undertaking their duties; allowances, pay and expenses etc. I know that some Members of Parliament already do this but it must become standard practice for all. The fact that many choose not to do so only fuels the public's misgivings and feelings of mistrust.

2. Secondly, Members of Parliament should provide full disclosure of all properties they claim allowances for in respect of their parliamentary duties. Identifying clearly, which is their principal home and which is their second home along with details of who owns the properties, who lives there and any income derived from the properties.

3. Finally, our elected representatives should demonstrate leadership and refuse to travel First Class. Not only would this result in significant savings it would more importantly acknowledge that they understand the concerns of the electorate regarding public spending and the need to “tighten our belts” something that they seem well able to preach yet unable to practice.

At the end of the day what all elected representatives, and I obviously count myself in this number, must acknowledge is that we exist to serve the people that voted for us, they are our true bosses and they are most certainly not here to serve us. Unfortunately, I sometimes feel that this important fact is often forgotten or worse conveniently ignored.