Rebuilding Trust In Politics
Issue- Legg Report on MPs' expenses.
Key points
- The expenses scandal scarred our democracy. It was a problem. We acted to fix it. Now we need to implement the reforms and rebuild trust in politics.
- The parliamentary expenses scandal scarred our democracy, battered the reputation of our parliament and breached the bond of trust between the people and those elected to serve them. That is why we fully support the review of expenses by Sir Thomas Legg as part of the wider effort to draw a line under the expenses episode and strengthen public trust and confidence in the political system. The Prime Minister has urged all MPs and ministers to co-operate fully with Sir Thomas.
- It was right to take away from MPs their ability to set and administer their pay and expenses, and so self regulation has given way to statutory regulation by people independent of MPs.
- The Government has acted quickly to reform the system. We:
- introduced interim restrictions on the allowances scheme, with no more claims for furniture, household goods, cleaning, gardening, or stamp duty. Members can claim a maximum of £1,250 per month for rent, mortgage interest or hotel bills, plus utilities and Council Tax;
- invited the Committee on Standards in Public Life, chaired by Sir Christopher Kelly, to conduct a root and branch review of the expenses system;
- established the Legg Review;
- legislated to create the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority to take over the setting and administration of the expenses system; and
- passed further legislation to give effect to the recommendations of the Kelly Report.
- We are determined to do all that is necessary to restore trust and to ensure that all politicians - like the vast majority do already - concentrate on serving the public and not themselves.
- That is why the Prime Minister set out a radical programme of constitutional and parliamentary reform in his speech on Tuesday, including legislating this side of the general election for a referendum on the Alternative Vote system and publishing draft legislation to create a democratically accountable House of Lords in the next few weeks.
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