Despair In These Turbulent Times

The continued revelations about MP's expenses has knocked people's confidence. Make no mistake it is a difficult period for the Labour Party and British politics.

Being an MP is a privilege, it is not a right.

I know that as a committed Labour Party member that I feel very let down that these allegations breaking across our TV screens and across the nation's newspapers daily, are now causing so much public revulsion.

I do not accept that the public do not have the right to be critical of MP's, of course they do. Public money is after all public money. I am filled with despair when MP's that have taken a life time to build their reputations take minutes to destroy them, by not thinking before they express their irritation with journalist's questions.

Whilst I am Labour through and through I do admit to feeling very depressed as I know colleagues in my Local Party do also.

I have been in politics long enough to know that MP's work very hard on behalf of their constituents,and they do work long hours.

All the MP's that I know joined the Party to bring about change and make a better World for all of us.

I am proud of those MP's, as I am proud of my local MP who has worked diligently on behalf of this City for decades.He has done much good work for thousands of individuals,organisations and groups during his long service to this City.

But on occasions I just wished he would think before he leaps to answer a journalists question, or someone would just gag him before he gives his thoughts to the latest question coming from a hack!

I fear that our community is no different from those up and down the Country that are reeling from these appalling allegations of excess being made against politicians from all political persuasions.

Anger and frustration is not just an emotion that is felt by a beleaguered Parliamentarian when he is being closely questioned by a local journalist.

The general public are also feeling very aggrieved, and the sad thing is that the Parliamentary democracy that this country has been rightly praised for across the World is shuddering under the shock revelations that are stripping Parliament bare of its respect.

What I do want is to see the Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party take swift action to reform the Parliamentary salary and expenses structure.

I want the payments to be transparent, and I want to see headlines about defeating injustice, creating equality and developing our economy.

Replacing the vile head lines that are today commanding the nation's attention with a clear process of reform.