Give back the money, Plaid.

Election Tax

In the week of the Assembly election, Plaid had a two page newspapers advertising splurge. The cost is reported to be just under £30,000. The problem is the bill was paid by the taxpayers through MP’s communication allowances.

It might help if Plaid MPs had supported the unpopular decision to give MPs an additional grant to communicate with voters. I am told that two voted against and one abstained. This could be interpreted at a populist vote. If they are against the payments in principle, they should not claim them.

The sum paid on these adverts was nearly the total annual allowances of the three MPs. Significantly they mentions matter such as health and education on which Welsh MPs have no responsibility. But the Assembly does and the timing was Assembly election week.

The Communication allowances are new but aim to be strictly controlled to assist MPs communicate with constituents on MPs work. Health and Education are the responsibility of A.M.s. The ads carried prominent party logos.

Plaid had a technical approval from Commons authorities who were almost certainly unaware that the timing of the publication was political dynamite. The spending is intended to be spaced throughout the year, not concentrated in one week.This is an abuse of public money

The Electoral Commission are very unhappy. If any other party had done anything similar we would have been excoriated.

Do the decent thing Plaid. Give the money back and pay for your own party political adverts.

Foresight

It was a shock to realise how good we are.

In 2005, I urged that we have a Committee of the Future to look at all legislation from the point of views of a person of the future. What will our decisions do for the folk of 25, 50 or 100 years in the future? Israel and Finland already have such committee.

Six months ago, my select committee calls for a British Committee of the future after our inquiries from other countries return high praise for Britain’s present institutions. There is widespread admiration for the Foresight group that reported today on obesity.

Too many politicians decision are framed to win favourable headlines tomorrow or win votes for the next election. Foresight has more distant horizons. This is intelligent, grown-up government.

Slight Catastrophe

A sinful waste of four hours of parliamentary time today with a forced whinge on the outbreak of foot and mouth and bluetongue (described as ‘bluetit’ by one backbencher.

Yes it’s already been admitted that faulty drains were at fault and reasonable compensation has been allocated. It should not have happened and it will not happen again.

Ravenous for their pound of flesh, opposition MPs have reheated their indignation and bored at length with wild hyperbole. None of them had the generosity to admit that that there is one abiding lesson from the outbreaks. Because of action taken by the Government after the 2001 outbreak to restrict movements, this outbreak was confined to a small area.

This outbreak was serious and difficult. But it was not a catastrophe, a calamity or a disaster. Wild exaggerations on this scale will leave no words left to describe major future crises.

Comments

[Ian]

Paul,

They cleared the spending with Parliament and therefore were within the rules. I do not remember you complaining when Mr Mittal gave your party millions, at a time when his coal mines in Eastern Europe had a horrific saftey record, dozens of deaths and miners protesting at him cutting corners for profit.

Shame on you Paul. You are a better politician than that.

[Paul Flynn]

That was my first impression, Ian. It had been cleared by House authorities but I am sure that they had no idea that the ads would appear in an election week, in constituencies other than those held by Plaid's MPs, would be devoted to devolved matters or would use in one day almost a year's allowance. This is a serious abuse. More on today's blog.