Earlier today I suggested that all Tory candidates should sign a pledge of integrity at the next election. David Cameron has just announced that all Tory MEP candidates will be signing a 5 point pledge which will commit them to publishing all their detailed expenses online, list all their travel, list their members of staff and details of any meeting they hold with lobbyists or interest groups. This last one is the most important and we can expect him to introduce something similar for Westminster elections.
It's a good day for transparency. Let's hope Michael Martin doesn't ruin it.
17 comments:
Yes,
That is good, it's just a shame that all the local constituency parties are sticking up for their disgraced MP's.
Why do the Tory party ALWAYS miss the net with an open goal at their mercy.
The sooner Dougie and Dan leave the Tory party and give us a Direct Democracy platform to vote for the better
A dispairing voter.
Ah, the cool sweet breeze of accountability. Like a lemon sorbet on the pallet of the body politic - err...that's enough of that.
Cameron: disolve parliament?
I despair - I have always championed the local associations. I have rashly claimed that they contain intelligent life forms. Quoth the Raven "Never more".
Sleazeford has just proved me horrendously wrong. I am wearing sack cloth and ashes and chewing the carpets in sheer frustration.
David, just nuke 'em. To hell with deselection.
Sorry Iain off topic but you have to hear McBroon talking about "our country"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/8055866.stm
I suppose the fact that some Lib Dems MEPs have published all their expenses for years now should be remembered when dave tries to portray this as new and bold action.
He's behind the mood on this.
John
And while we are at it how about the same for County, District and Town Councillors?
Yes and of course nobody would ever sign an integrity pledge knowing full well they have no intention of keeping it....This last one define meeting does that include sitting on a bus having a chat.
Bumping into someone in the Pub and having a casual conversation...speaking over the phone
This pledge of integrity is as phony as the Conservative party
'I swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God.'
so we can it take this oath means nothing to the conservative MPS then?
A good move, and one that should spread to the other parties. From a post that I wrote last week (http://walkerramblings.blogspot.com/2009/05/way-forward-for-politics-with-aside.html):
"The same goes for MEPs (who make our MPs seem like naive innocents when it comes to making a buck). I don't care if European rules allow something; if the European rules are lax, we should ensure that our MEPs act according to stricter rules."
If Brussels is a gravy train, then British MEPs should be forced to take a replacement service. If Britain and British MEPs take a stand, then it is possible - just - that the rest of Europe might be embarrassed into doing the same.
If they do not, then we at least have the moral high ground.
Cameron just stuck Brown on a very sticky wicket, call an election or ignore the people.
I have to say that was a very good press conference, he made a good case for handing this to the people, all mp’s must put themselves forward for reselection and telling constituencies they hvae the power to change the mp.
Its what people want to hear that someone understands and wants to give them the power. Good on the referendum stuff also.
So now the Tories are following LIBERTAS with pledge cards. Keep up... Next they will call for the LIBERTAS core principles of Democracy, Accountability, Transparency in Europe.
It's nice to see good ideas catch on
Good stuff! But weasle martin done it again.What utter arrogance!
Dissolving Parliament has to be the way to go to restore trust but bringing on an election with a Labour majority of 60 is hard.
I guess there's no precedent for this but perhaps David Cameron could bring forward a vote of No Confidence in the current House of Commons as being no longer representative of the people. This would not be anti-Labour but anti-all sides. Could anyone dare vote against such a confidence vote?
Are there any Tory MEPs who have not already published their expenses for the previous 5 years? What about the NI MEP who takes the Tory whip?
It is a good idea. This morning Eric Pickles brought along the integrity pledge for our East Midlands MEP candidates to sign.
It's measure like this that should get our elected representatives to think again before they decide to take advantage. I am all for it.
Cameron hasn't got a choice, he has to be seen to be "cleaning up", after all the Tories were in on the expenses fiddle as well.
Hi - we were way ahead of anyone with that idea - back in february in fact: http://bentsocietyblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/bent-society-blog-its-for-real-margaret.html
Cameron has taken up several of our ideas to date. Perhaps he will go for our MPs Scrappage proposal today?
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