VIEWPOINT FOR 23 APRIL 2009
FROM DR RICHARD TAYLOR  

MPs’ expenses have emerged again at the top of the Government’s agenda amazingly on the day before the most important budget for decades. Surely the PM should have waited for the already arranged independent review of MPs’ expenses by Sir Christopher Kelly than pre-empting this by a radical change to the accommodation allowance, said to be interim only. If anything has to be done immediately the obvious abuses could be stamped out easily and without objection as follows:

• Ministers and others with grace and favour apartments must not claim a second home allowance
• The definitions of main and second homes must be clarified.
• The definition of a London MP must be changed to include all those within easy commuting distance.
• Any MP’s family member employed as staff must have an identical contract to other unrelated staff.
• The principles governing Members’ allowances listed in the welcome, recently revised Green Book should be re-stated as rules.

In the longer term I expect the Kelly review to consider whether rent or mortgage interest for accommodation, only used by some of us for less than a third of the year, and items on the ‘John Lewis list’, about which most MPs to whom I have spoken were unaware anyway, should be allowable.

Also consideration should be given to re-naming ‘allowances’ as ‘expenses’. Allowances can be seen as a right to be claimed to the maximum whereas expenses have to be justified before being reimbursed.

If the PM’s knee jerk reaction is to be voted on next week, unless opposition parties have the opportunity to put in well considered amendments, MPs, however clean they are, who vote against the proposals will be pilloried as self-serving bigots resisting change and refusing to take their snouts out of the trough.
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Last week I had a useful meeting with the new Director of Children’s Services at the County Council to make sure she understood our concerns about 

• the delayed Sladen school site development, 

• about ‘Building Schools for the Future’, 

• about Stourport and Lickhill primary schools 

• and the importance of her support for Mentor Link.

________

I had a lengthy interview with Panorama about whistle blowing in the NHS and now wait to see if they use any of my points.
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I was pleased to be able to attend the AGM of the Wyre Forest Society to hear of last years events and future plans.
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I enjoyed a visit to the fund raising event for the Millbrook Suite organised by Kath Fawke at 17 Minster Road , Stourport. 
As well her charitable work Kath provides an excellent residential service for people who have been unwell and are not yet ready to return to full independent life.
________

Stourport Choral and Operatic Society gave us a feast of music from the movies last Saturday bringing together classical items that have featured in films, music specially composed for films and, of course, a popular Abba medley.
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Chris and I were delighted to take part in the judging for the Carnival Princess. 
It was so good to see so many contestants for the Rosebuds, the Princess and the Carnival Queen but always sad that there can be so few winners from so many who could all carry out the duties so admirably.

R.T.

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