The Life and Times of Me

I've been asked to comment on MP expenses. I am not sure if I should, since I live off approximately £4.55 a day of expeses for three days a week. However, I will comment. Since MPs seem to earn about 3 times the average sallery in the UK why do they have expenses to claim beyond that of the cost of some photocopying and maybe some biscuits for their staff to have with tea and coffee. I have heard some interesting comments from MPs, their wives and the general public.

I was particularly annoyed when one MP said that he needs a full sized abode in London as he has to take his family with him when he is in London. This pissed me off because, my cousin, his wife and their two small children live full time London in a one bedroom flat which was built for a single person- they don't have a choice over the size of their abode and so why should the MP.

The Scottish parliment had major problems with expenses when it first opened. They resolved it by making MSP recipt for everything and by saying that you can only rent a home in Edinburgh not buy one. This system seems to be working, can it be replicated for the London parliment.

Two ideas put forward on Radio 4 have caught my ear, the first was on the NOW show. It was suggested that once the 2012 olympics have finished, why not hand over the olympic village to parliment. Then every MP will have some where to stay if they need, in green homes already furnished and desgined for maximum security. The second idea was from someone phoning into any answers- why not instead of giving MPs a buget for a London home, provide them with a constituancy home, which is rent free and council tax free, they just have to pay utilities etc. This home would be for whoever was elected, like 10 Downing Street is for the Prime Minister and so handed over if the MP changes. Any second home that an MP may need in London then just comes out of their usual salery, no expenses can be claimed.

I am trying to get money for my guides, to buy tents, I was counting on O2 (the phone company) to give us some money, and I have just had an email to say I was unsucessful. I need to now follow up some of my other leads. Anyone got any ideas? The 10 page grass roots grant does not seem appealing.

posted by Amy @ 12:08