Leaders Column - May 2009

12.25.03pm BST (GMT +0100) Sat 16th May 2009

To quote Winston Churchill "Democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried". As we hear about the abuse some of our MPs have undertaken in completing their expenses it is hard to imagine how worse the others are.

My parents are exasperated with me. "Why on earth would I want to join this lot?" they say. "Give it up, concentrate on your business." They have recently pleaded. Is giving up the answer? I don't believe so. "Evil triumphs when good men do nothing"

The catalogue of tax free claims are totally unacceptable and must be stopped and repaid. However in addition the opportunity to make vast sums from second homes at taxpayers expense must also be ended.

However abuse of tax payers money doesn't just stop here. In Hillingdon we have awarded 50% increase in allowances for senior councillors without any mandate. The Gazette have just revealed 30-80% increases to senior directors for doing the same job. None of these increases include the cost to the pension scheme which will be huge.

The above are all so called "Public Servants". With pay awards, allowances and benefits like these they are more like "Public Rip Off merchants".

There are millions of people out there who are struggling to make ends meet and this sort of public display of greed will only alienate them to vote for extremists. Its time politicians stopped trying to out do each other and started to listen to ordinary people. "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen". We need more listening: We need more public service.