Douglas Carswell's Blog

A pay rise for MPs? D'oh!

Homer Simpson always gets it wrong.  In every episode of the Simpsons, he messes up catastrophically.  But in the end he sees the error of his ways, and tries to put it right.

If only MPs were that wise.

Instead, three decades of accumulated incompetence, greed and clever-dickery by the "usual channels" that run Westminster ended in the disaster that was the the MPs expenses scandal.  Having spectacularly messed up, they then put IPSA in charge.

Think of IPSA as being like the FSA, but for MPs rather than banks.   

Now IPSA is seriously seeking to increase MPs pay by £6,500, at a time of austerity and falling living standards.  Even Homer would have 'fessed up to Marge and sought redemption by now.  The "usual channels" carry on as usual.  

In coming up with this daft proposal, IPSA has given MPs a clear choice; accept the pay rise, or reject it - and axe IPSA at the same time.  I outline a simple alternative in my latest blog post for the Telegraph.

Having given power to IPSA, a quango, MPs have started to appreciate what life can be like living under the thumb of officialdom.  MPs should not only abolish IPSA, they should abolish all those IPSA like quangos that preside over the lives of millions.

Oh.  And we should recognise that "the usual channels" in Westminster couldn't run a bath.  It's time to go back to having the legislature run the legislature - not government toadies.   

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