Lobbydog...

Monday 27 April 2009

Expenses flip-flopping

There was little doubt after our lobby briefing this morning that new MPs’ expenses proposals would emerge today.

The PM's spokesman distanced the Government from last week's proposal - in which the plan was to scrap the second home allowance and replace it with a daily attendance allowance.

At that point – in that weird video – the PM said he wanted the changes, but today we've been told they were merely an "alternative".

The back peddling is a little unsightly.

But the degree to which today's new proposals differ from last week’s will be a measure of how strong Brown feels on this.

It would be a black-eye if the daily allowance idea disappeared altogether in the new plan.

But if he keeps that part – which has proved unpopular with MPs of all parties – he risks dooming his proposals to defeat in Thursday’s vote, which would be even worse.

3 comments:

Oldrightie said...

Eeny meeny miny mo catch a Gordo by his toe............
Works well, doesn't it!

Anonymous said...

This whole thing is such a farce - you really couldn't make it up. It would be so easy to sort out, but no one has the balls to do it. The Tories are just as bad - I have absolutely no faith left in MPs of any colour.

Anonymous said...

How about a flat salary for MP's with the same London weighting given to police officers, nurses etc for those MP's with constituencies in the Capital? Seems fair to me!

They would never vote for that though as they are too busy milking the current system.

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