The Bristol Evening Post has been doing its own examination of local MPs expenses. The other day it was my MP Bristol East's Kerry McCarthy's turn (story here). One thing that is striking about the whole expenses affair is how a large proportion of MPs are far from strong-willed, independent-minded individuals. Take this quote from the Post's story,Ms McCarthy, 44, who won her Bristol seat in 2005, said: "When you get elected, you ask the older hands what you do and they were quite adamant that you should claim for this or that because that's what you were entitled to."
*
For me these words illustrate the point I'm making very well. Do we really want to elect people who cant find their own way and dont make up their own mind? Kerry seems to think it perfectly acceptable to go along with the crowd without thinking and questioning (Either that or she is giving us lame excuses for the choices she made). Surely we need our key decision-makers to have more character than this?? Mind you maybe the the qualities Ms McCarthy has are the reason she has become a junior whip.
Absolutely agree, Glen.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I don't agree always politically with you, I would rather have politicians with an actual value system attached to their politics rather than none at all. You'd make a much better MP than this hanger-on, by virtue of the fact you have a point, and you take this to politics, rather than wanting to find a point to take you into politics.
Hell, I'd rather have Tony Benn - even though he is ludicrously wrong, he at least stands for something.