20/08/09 - How to win back trust: Chris Kelly writes to the Express & Star

How to win back trust

Trust in politicians is very low at the moment, and I can understand why.

The expenses scandal has left many people feeling very angry and the inability of many of today’s politicians to give a straight answer to a simple question has left many people wondering whether there is any point voting any more.
 
Some MPs, from all parties, have done things that were wrong - whether or not they were within the rules. David Cameron is right to have apologised for the actions of some Conservative MPs. But more than an apology, taxpayers deserve action to put things right.
 
David Cameron has set up a scrutiny panel to review every excessive expense claim made by a Conservative MP and agree with them how much money they will pay back. He has been very clear that anyone in the Conservative Party who refuses to accept the decision of this panel will not be allowed to continue as a Conservative MP. He has also imposed additional rules on Conservative MPs. They will have to:

• publish each and every expense claim on-line;
• only claim for what is necessary to do the job;
• not ‘flip’ their first and second homes to maximise what they can claim; and
• pay capital gains tax when they sell a home on which the mortgage interest payments have been paid by the taxpayer. 

If politicians want to regain people’s trust, one thing they could do is to be straight with people when they get asked a difficult question.

Gordon Brown’s repeated denials that he is planning to cut public spending are making him look increasingly ridiculous. We should have the confidence to tell the public the truth - that Britain faces a debt crisis.

Chris Kelly
Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Dudley South