Lib Dems support the right to know MPs expenses

1.15.46am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 22nd May 2007

What don't they want us to know?

We often hear Members of Parliament stating that the work of politicians should be open and accountable. Last Friday 78 MPs from the Labour and Conservative parties showed their contempt for these principles by supporting a blanket exemption from Freedom of Information legislation for Parliamentarians. One of those MPs was the Labour Member for Poplar and Canning Town, Jim Fitzpatrick.

If implemented the legislation would mean that MPs like Mr Fitzpatrick (whose expenses in 2005/6 totalled £104,151) would no longer have to disclose information concerning how they spend our money. MPs are paid a salary and expenses by taxpayers in order to represent their constituents and we are entitled to information about how hard they work and how much they spend on travel, staff etc. Other public bodies such as the police, hospitals and local councils are subject to scrutiny and there are adequate safeguards to respect the privacy of MP's constituents.

Speaking after the vote, Leader of the Liberal Democrat group, Cllr Stephanie Eaton said: "It is a shameful illustration of the way in which some MPs view their job that they can take a hypocritical position that requires others to provide information, but allow them to keep their own activities a secret. We have a right to know what our MPs are doing and if our elected representatives are unwilling to tell us about matters as basic as their expenses, how can we trust them with more significant matters of state? What is that Mr Fitzpatrick and his friends are trying to conceal?"

Liberal Democrat MPs Simon Hughes and David Heath have led the campaign against the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill. The Bill now moves to the House of Lords.