By John Kennedy

Here in the United Kingdom we have a unwritten constitution which allows us the flexibility to mould the method and way we govern our great nation by amending, changing the manner and way we go about creating laws and enacting legislation.

A unwritten constitution gives you flexibility to do things that a written constitution would never allow without massive change and upheaval.

With the present scandal at Westminster over expenses we are entering unchartered waters where many MP’s have made claims that appear to be excessive and certainly over generous.

Some claims may even lead to police investigations after complaints have been made by concerned and no doubt hacked off members of the public who at this present moment in time our suffering from the worst economic crisis since the late 80’s.

The strangest of times

We are in the strangest of positions where we have Members of Parliament who are at this moment in time revising, debating and voting on legislation that can remove our liberty or impose fines.

These very people have the power to vote on whether we send our armed services into battle, they decide what rate of tax we pay and impose civil sanctions on those of us who park illegally.

You see it seems many within Parliament have lost the moral authority to govern us the people who placed them there in the first place.

Young men and women have been sent into battle with inadequate equipment whilst members of the House have placed claims for telly’s, chairs, lawnmowers and “flipping” second homes. When you place the claims in this context you suddenly realise how sad this situation really is.  

I’m not against members of Parliament earning a decent wage, I’m not against allowances that will allow MP’s to carry out their duties in the best interests of the country and constituents.

Get on with the job

I just want people to get on with the job of ensuring the country is run properly and in a competent fashion and for this to happen we the people must have or at least the majority must have faith in those who sit in Parliament.

We need reform of the common’s before we even consider any further reform of the house of Lords and the quicker this happens the better.

The confidence of a nation is being dented and the patience of a people tested whilst many are slung onto the dole queue or removed from their homes.

People will protest and vote for parties that may well damage our standing even further and all because of a system that is out of touch with the very people it claims to represent.

The longer this crisis rumbles on the worse it will be for those who have been identified to have played a system for their own advantage, but lets us not forget amongst all the press coverage we have MP’s who have decided to be frugal with the allowances and have done the right thing by you.

I’ll name two,Dennis Skinner and Lee Scott maybe these two gentlemen should sit on any committee that is to decide the very future of the very place that decides ours......