EXPENSES: The 7 principles of public life

Harriet Harman told Lobbydog today he would have to wait for the Christopher Kelly review for any changes in the expenses system.

So I just thought I’d remind Sir Chris of his Standards in Public Life Committee's first report.

It sets out the seven principles of public life: Selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.

Selflessness: Putting other people’s interests before your own. That means taxpayers too.

Integrity: Sticking to high moral principles. Not claiming on parliamentary allowances for watching Pleasure Island starring Long Dong Silver.

Objectivity: Means addressing the question in a fair way, not avoiding it.

Accountability: People taking responsibility for their actions, not implying that they were only following rules – as if they didn’t have a choice.

Openness: Not fighting a High Court battle to prevent the release of receipts claimed on expenses.

Honesty: More than just telling the truth when asked. It is about being open and forward in your truthfulness.

Leadership: Being brave enough to high-light publicly what everyone knows to be wrong and then make a strong decision to put it right. Doing so in a determined way, without relying on bureaucratic justification.