politics.co.uk poll reveals public unconvinced by parliament reform
By Liz Stephens
A poll by politics.co.uk has revealed that most readers think the radical changes implemented in parliament in the wake of the MP’s expenses scandal will not change anything.
Sixty-seven per cent of respondents said they believed Gordon Brown’s decision to make MP’s expenses the responsibility of an independent body would not prevent further scandals.
Mr Brown set out his plans to submit MP’s expenses to an independent ‘star chamber’ in the parliamentary standards bill following the MPs’ expenses scandal.
However the Lords attacked the bill’s proposals to create an Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa), expressing concerns including about the party-political make up of the authority.
A second concern was also raised about the lack of appeal to an outside body; and there are worries about the proposals for new criminal offences related to MPs’ allowances claims.
Lord Goodlad, chairman of the Lord’s constitution committee, said the parliamentary standards bill raised “considerable concerns about the unseemly haste” with which it was being rushed through.
He added: “We are not convinced of the case for creating new criminal offences applicable only to MPs. If MPs are suspected of fraud, they should be prosecuted under current general fraud legislation which allow for considerably stiffer sentences than those proposed in the bill.”
Meanwhile confidence in new Speaker, John Bercow was also low according to the poll.
Seventy-four per cent of respondents said the replacement of Michael Martin had not given them more confidence in parliament.
