Author: simon
MP Andrew Turner Reveals His View Of MPs Expenses Being Secret
Friday, 23rd January, 2009 at 7:03 pm, Isle of Wight
Island-wide, Media, Overseas, Politics
Remember the news that the government backed out of trying to make MPs expenses secret, after a combination of events including many people in the UK writing to their MP, the Tories saying they’d vote against it and masses of people joined the Facebook group (currently over 9,000 people and still growing) to express their unhappiness with the idea?
We got in touch with the Island’s MP, Andrew Turner, to find out how he would have voted if he’d had the chance.
It’s reassuring to hear from Andrew that he “would have voted against those proposals” and that he will “continue to oppose any future Government proposals to limit transparency of MP’s expenses.”
Freedom of Information is important
As Andrew points out, “the Government’s proposal was completely contrary to the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act.”
We, like many, are passionate believers in the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.
In a world where institutions sometimes try to avoid releasing information that the public should know, it’s the FOI Act that ensures that the public – and the press – find out things that they should rightfully know.
Any attempt to restrict or deny the Freedom of Information should be resisted to the maximum.
Image: ARendle
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Three media sources, three different levels of details being reported....
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Regarding the MP’s expenses I am affraid that it is now the time for Members of Parlaiment to be cleaned up they have had a good ride and now they have blew it. Their cavalier approach to their expenses and dipping their hand in the trough at any time day or night because they could use it as a bottomless pit has now to come to and end now that we have the internet there is no excuse for any MP that cannot to be accountable for their finacial expenses to their constituants afterall they are there to help run the country in an orderly fashion and not to be given a position to flout and take the piss out of the working people who pay their taxes and laugh at these serious allegations in the public eye as to what they have done after this episode I would like to know how the country is going to deal with this especially at the time of voting as every time there is a new party their never seems to be a real change I think Tony Blair was another let down and just their to make his name most of these politicans is unneccessary and the House of Commons is just a relic of the past and for tourist purposes anyway a good slimming down of these MP’s is a good start and the right direction to not flout tax payers money which could be put to better use because I dont know what these people do other than lip service because the cruelty, homeless, child abuse is worse than ever for this age and they never seem to tackle the problem other than charity advertisements for donations the money that has been taken for MP expenses could have been a way to donate money in to these organisations in stead of MP’s using it for their second homes and paying for duck houses, and dry rot paper clips also this four year voting system is a sham any minister whilst in their term of office who has acted inappropriately should be judged by the people if the priminister cannot take the proper steps to sack them then it should be left to the people to vote their demise with regards to the four year voting system bills should also be given to the people as to their vote it is a lot easier now to do this since we now have the www. not once the party is in power it is forgotten about for the next four years the system should pull together during their term of office instead of all this propganda confusing and bribing people for the next general election.
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A very good ‘Post’ madam, which highlights many specific points/
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Andrew has not published his (Blackened out)expenses accounts in the local press. Not everyone has access to the internet. However you can browse these accounts at his office – I find this a most unsatisfactory method of total transparency.
During the MPs scandal no mention at all was given regarding all the free holidays they take at the taxpayers expense. Some MPs take several holiday each year to places as far as Australia and China, most taking with them the wife or partner.
When Andrew eventually retires he will own two properties on the IoW and one in London – Two of them paid for at public expense; I feel that this is immoral and is far more than most people can dream of.
Sincerely,
Don Smith Mr
15 PO30 1DR
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