David Cameron’s speech earlier this week makes thought-provoking reading for those of us aspiring to become Conservative MPs at the next election.
The Party is, of course, quite right to examine the costs of MPs, quangos and politics generally. But as anyone running a business, particularly in the current economic climate knows, cutting costs is one thing but making your assets (in this case our MPs) work better and smarter is another way of getting more value from the same level of spending.
The last few months have clearly demonstrated, if those of us who have been campaigning as PPCs for years and years didn’t already know, that there is something badly wrong with levels of engagement in politics. There is far too much bureaucracy and far too many layers of Government. As a result MPs frequently become conduits to other levels of government or public bodies. I am often contacted by residents who have a problem and have literally no idea which way to turn or, if they have tried to deal with the issue themselves, they have become enmeshed in tiers of government and are now desperate for help.
It is of course true that a well phrased letter from an MP can often force those wheels of government to turn just that little bit quicker. But MPs are elected to represent their constituents in Westminster – not in the local council chamber. So, why don’t we make efficiency savings in politics by letting our hard-working local Government teams do what they do best and let MPs do what they are meant to do?
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