Afternoon:
9°c
Voters' trust will not be restored for decade, says Balls
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor28 May 2009
IT WILL take up to 10 years for voters' trust to be restored following the MPs expenses scandal, Cabinet minister Ed Balls admitted today.
The Children's Secretary said the Euro and local elections next week were likely to be used by the public to cast their verdict on the affair, but suggested that all mainstream parties would suffer.
Mr Balls said it was important for Parliament to reform itself but it would take years to restore public faith in politicians. He said: "It's not going to be solved by one event, one decision, one reform, one piece of legislation, one general election.
"People are concerned because they are worried about the economy, their jobs, their public services. And they read in the paper about MPs doing things which in some cases are illegal but certainly unacceptable and irresponsible. They think 'these people are supposed to be trying to serve us and why are they helping themselves?'
"And that is something which is going to take us a long time to get right. It will be a big task for this Parliament and probably the next and beyond".
Meanwhile, an emergency Bill to create an independent regulator of Commons expenses could be rushed through Parliament before the summer, the Standard has learned.
The legislation, which would hand the policing of the system to outsiders for the first time, is seen by Gordon Brown as key to the overhaul of the centuries-old convention of allowing MPs to determine their own spending.
The plan emerged as Lib-Dem leader Nick Clegg today demanded that MPs should be barred from their summer break until the crisis triggered by the expenses scandal is resolved.
Mr Clegg insisted Parliament should not be allowed to go into recess until "every nook and cranny" of the system is reformed.
Cabinet ministers stepped up their own demands for change, with David Miliband backing electoral reform and Tessa Jowell calling for US-style "open primaries" for the selection of Labour candidates for Westminster.
The Prime Minister, keen not to be outflanked by David Cameron and Mr Clegg, is planning cross-party talks within the next fortnight. They will discuss possible "recall" elections and fixed-term Parliaments.
Some changes will be enacted in a Constitutional Renewal Bill, but the move to create an independent expenses regulator could be placed in a stand-alone emergency Bill.
Writing in the Guardian, Mr Clegg set out a 100-day plan to clean up Commons expenses and speed up key constitutional changes.
"I'm setting out a plan...making it possible for MPs to be sacked by their constituents, abolishing the House of Lords, getting corrupt money out of politics and changing the electoral system," he wrote. He would also impose a £50,000 cap on individual donations to parties in any one year.
Reader views (9)
The bombshell hidden in Clegg's and Johnson's ravings is Proportional Reresentation or what ever else they choose to call it.I always expected that if Brown got another term,(this was before it all went completely pear-shaped),he would impose PR on the electorate so that we would never be rid of him and his rotten government.Now,because they have no chance of winning the next election they are going to try to force it through on the pretext of reforming the system for our own good.This could not be further from the truth.
PR will result in no overall control,a permanently hung parliament,which will suit many of the left wing MP's but very little will ever be achieved for the benefit of the British public.Just look at the corrupt cesspit in Brussels and it tells you al you need to know about Proportional Representation.
- Peter Beckett, Ballymoney,UK, 29/05/2009 03:08
Report abuse
You and your wife are part of the problem Balls. But you are to be congratulated really for showing up some politicians, including you and your wife, for what they really are. Grasping, greedy, unreliable, cheating. Thanks to you and your kind, the people have now got the message and will be demanding more from them in the future, including the right to appoint them, run them and fire them if they don't come up to expectations.
- Albert Hall, hove england, 28/05/2009 17:03
Report abuse
Someone should tell this PARASITE, HE should be worried at the next election,what a bloody nerve telling anyone about faith in politicians, he is up to his neck in robbing the taxpayer.
- Alex., brighton, 28/05/2009 16:19
Report abuse
Astonishing to see Balls criticising his wife (by implication)
Still Yvette Cooper can attack him.
It is a new form of double dipping.
- P Doff, audierne france, 28/05/2009 16:17
Report abuse
"10 years for voters' trust to be restored".
Yes, and Joe Public will still be paying-off Labours' horrendous National Debt in 30 years' time.
A Balls-up of unprecedented magnitude.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe UK, 28/05/2009 15:57
Report abuse
These despicable people have shown that they are not worthy of the voters trust. So to read that Ed Balls reckons it will take up to 10 years to restore voters trust... hits me as very optimistic!
- Goggs, London, 28/05/2009 15:39
Report abuse
That's what I like about Balls, his great gift for stating the obvious and making it look as though Labour invented it. No mate, you condoned, and conspired, and exploited a lousy system and now want to pretend it was nothing to do with your sleazy Government.
- Paul Freeman, London, England, 28/05/2009 15:22
Report abuse
Here we go again, instead of giving this some rational thought, and explaining the situation properly,we have Balls in every court. Brown with his new Knee Jerk bill, Balls in a panic, Clegg has a Cunning Plan (sorry Baldrick)a bit like his earlier 'MP's shouldn't profit from second homes' why not, the would gain some interest if they invested their money in other assets, it's excessive profit that should be stopped, and Cameron trying to sort out his own MP's.
So if this lot of Parliamentarians really want to adopt a better system for expenses, I would suggest they use the one that I and all my fellow workers have to use, the PAYE system. It is not perfect, but I see no difference to the requirements of MP's than those of a number of private sector employees who have to travel all over the country staying in hotels etc and reclaim expenses on production of a receipt. This is the first step, any other reforms could then be done in depth with proper scrutiny, and not as a result of some hair brained reaction.
- Alan, carlisle uk, 28/05/2009 15:21
Report abuse
for Ed Balls, Brown, Cameron, Clegg,
Or any of them dare make a comment on Expenses when they themselves should resign for the jobs they are clinging onto, for the sake of the country.
how can they cast any Stones on the other MP who have brought shame on this country, When they all of them too have cooked the books.
- J Durnford, plymouth, 28/05/2009 15:04
Report abuse
