YOUR recent story headed ‘MP’s daughter could lose job’ highlights a number of interesting points.

The first is that all three local MPs accept the Kelly report’s findings both with regards to employing family and to claiming expenses. I suspect that they all accept the findings because to object to them would be electoral suicide.

However, Parliament and the Government have made a fundamental error by moving away from the principle of parliamentary sovereignty in their haste to appease the wrath of the electorate at the deception played upon them.

The problem is not that MPs are incapable of making their own, fair, arrangements to cover expenses incurred exclusively and necessarily in carrying out their job. The problem is that they have collectively deceived us.

By the same token, it is a real error for MPs to agree not to employ members of their families. Family members, providing they do the job for which they are paid, are in a special position which actually allows them to do their jobs better than a non-family member could. If you can discuss an issue over the breakfast table you are already ahead of the game!

The most sad and disappointing aspect of this whole affair is that those who did not abuse the system nevertheless said nothing. They all knew what was going on but not one of them blew the whistle.

Each of the three local MPs in your report used phrases such as ‘public confidence’, ‘people’s trust’, and ‘restore faith’.

Those things will only happen when Parliament is seen, and can be proved, to be open and honest.

–Stanley Oram, UKIP PPC North West Hampshire, Abbotts Ann, Andover.