Kevan Lim

With all the anger over MP’s expenses their is a tendency for lots of people on phone in programmes and television shows to claim the simple solution is to have more independents elected. The assumption seems to be that being an independent will mean that you have all the answers.

Yet we already have plenty of evidence of how an independent system can fail to deliver real accountability.

The current evening star campaign against the changes to heart attack services is a prime example of decisions being taken by so called independents with little understanding or concern about the implications or the public reaction to such decisions.

The health service now in the East of England is run by a so called independent arrangement. Members of the Strategic Health Authority and the board at Ipswich Hospital are all appointed by the appointments commission. Its so called independence means that in Ipswich for example we have a board with a chairman who does not even live in Suffolk and a board with no local Ipswich representation. Their are no local councillors of any party on the board.

Its little wonder that decisions like the transferring of heart attack services take place.

The creation of an independent culture doesn’t lead to greater accountability. I have never been in favour of the separation of health from local government.

Most of this separation has ironically happened because of demands to loosen day to day management of the health service from control by Government.

The reality is that as you create more impendent arrangements you actually divorce local councillors and other public representives from control of key local services leading to control by appointed independents who have accountability to no one and often little understanding of the needs or demands of the population they are actually supposed to be serving.

We seem to be getting finally some action on the whole issue of MP’s expenses.  Whilst the latest agreements on restricting the amounts that can be claimed is progress, I hope that  that all the parties will implement any recommendations from the independent review by Christopher Kelly.

However its no wonder why people get angry with some MP’s.  As I was delivering my latest leaflets, I heard Sir Anthony Steen on the radio, Conservative MP for a safe Conservative seat in the South West.  One of the MP’s standing down because of his gardening claims.  Claiming it was a witch hunt and that it was the governments fault because they brought in the freedom of information act and without it no one would have ever known what he was claiming.  They say power corrupts, but in his case its even worse as he was MP for a liverpool seat in the 1970’s. Clearly real life passed him by a long time ago

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I have written to Gordon Brown in connection with the ongoing scandal of MP’s expenses. My letter is set out below.   I resent having to face an election when I will be judged on the behaviour of MP’s some of whom have clearly been ripping off the taxpayer.  The system has to change.  I cannot blame any elector who thinks we are all the same.  It just makes the work of a local councillor so much more difficult if national politiicans first priority seems to be their own personal interest rather than the public interest.

Having looked at my own expenses claim for last year as listed in the county council accounts its £420.  Wouldn’t have paid for some MP’s pot plants.

County Councillor Kevan Lim

Deputy Leader, Labour Group

and Labour Councillor, Ipswich St Helens

Suffolk County Council

Ipswich

Suffolk

Tel 01473 216097

Email Klim55@googlemail.com

Blog kevanlim.agilityhoster.com

10 May 2009

Prime Minister,

MP’s Expenses

I am writing this letter in a personal capacity but I suspect I speak for many of my colleagues.

I and many of my colleagues are currently fighting elections to the County Council. We had expected to fight these elections on the work we have been doing locally on behalf of our constituents and on the clear differences between our Labour policies in Suffolk and the policies of the Conservative administration at Suffolk County Council.

In areas like home care and social care, the future of recycling policy, the scandal of the Chief Executives salary and the issue of road maintenance, there are clear differences between our policies and those of the local Conservatives which give the voters a clear choice. We have been very successful over the last couple of years especially in Ipswich in winning and retaining seats.

However the ongoing scandal of MP’s expenses is overshadowing the local elections and is bringing the whole of the political process into disrepute.

I like all of my colleagues operate under an allowance scheme determined by an independent panel and our expenses are strictly controlled both by national rules and by the Inland Revenue.

I do not see why MP’s should not also operate under salaries and expenses set by an independent body.

It is a disgrace to read on a daily basis of the ways in which MP’s and Lords of all parties have manipulated the system and these abuses have to end. I am extremely angry that all the hard work and dedication shown by Labour councillors in Suffolk could be undone by the shameful way in which some MP’s have used the system to enhance their own personal lifestyle at the taxpayers expense.

You have a responsibility as Prime Minister and Leader of the party to ensure urgent action is taken to end this damaging fiasco and to restore some credibility in the public mind to the political process. The government should commit to accepting the recommendations of the independent review and should ensure that MP’s will no longer able to determine their own salaries and expenses.

I am happy to stand on my record as a local councillor and be judged by my electorate. I suspect however that some of us will be judged by the electorate not on our own records but on the behaviour of greedy MP’s.

However of even more importance is the ongoing damage the revelations on MP’s expenses are doing to all politicians. This is damaging for the political process in the UK and for the long term future of the Labour Party.

I hope therefore that you will take decisive action to ensure that trust in the parliamentary process is restored and that the scandal of MP’s expenses ends as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely

County Councillor Kevan Lim

The present row over MP’s expenses does little good for the standing of the political process.

It gives the impression to voters that all politicians are the same. Indeed thats a view that I get from time to time on the doorstep and I have no doubt I will get more often at this election.

I think I am well paid when I earn £16,000 a year from all my County and Regional council work.  Yes its my main income and I probably don’t earn as much as others but my wife works and we cannot say that our combined income is poor.

So when MP’s are claiming in excess of £100,000 in expenses a year as well as their £60,000 a year salary then I understand why voters get angry.

I have always believed that politicians should be paid a decent income especially local politicians who for many years were very badly paid.  And its important that they can pay for good levels of staff to support their work

But their is clearly something wrong with a parliamentary system which allows MP’s to claim expenses for  furnishings and fixtures and fitting.   And now a London MP claiming for a home in woodbridge when he has lived in London for 30 years.

It s abuse of that sort even if it is technically legal which creates the impression that all politicians are corrupt and which seriously damages the respect by voters for politicians many of whom are hardworking.

The sooner the system is changed the better.