Sir, The allegation that the Conservative Party chairman Caroline Spelman has used public money to pay her children’s nanny is the latest in a raft of stories about politicians misusing their allowances (report, June 7). Can anything be done to stop the continuous drip of discreditable revelations? Of course, if all politicians were models of probity and saintliness the tap might turn off. But even if they were, the rules will always be sufficiently opaque to create an impression of “sleaze” at the top.

It is absolutely right that we should hold politicians to high standards, and, equally, the media play a vital role in exposing their shortcomings. At the same time, the division of MPs’ remuneration into salaries and accountable expenses offers too many opportunities for dishonesty and poor judgment on one side and “naming and shaming” on the other. This cumulatively brings politics into disrepute.

It would be far better to abolish all allowances and pay MPs a single salary (plus free travel) for doing their job. The pretax equivalent of their combined salaries and allowances would come to about £250,000 — about what a senior manager gets. MPs would be free to spend their post-tax salaries any way they want. If they spent it on dinners at the Dorchester and weekends in Dubai rather than on secretaries and research assistants, the remedy would lie with their electorates.

After the initial shock of such a huge salary increase I would expect the new system to bed down without trouble, and we would be spared headlines of politicians claiming taxpayers’ money for their nannies by mistake.

Robert Skidelsky
House of Lords

Sir, Every time an MP appears to defend salaries and expenses we are told what an important job they do. But on most issues in Parliament MPs are mandated by the whips either to vote for or against government policy. They very rarely have truly independent and free voting where they exercise their own judgment.

Furthermore, in the world outside Parliament market forces decide salaries, and one of the main factors involved in deciding them is how easily or otherwise candidates can be persuaded to apply for the jobs. I have noticed no difficulty whatsoever in attracting people to enter Parliament.

Lew Britz
Via email

Sir, Who among us has not made a mistake on an expenses claim form? We have the luxury of a quiet word with the accounts department and the opportunity to correct the claim. We are rarely exposed on Newsnight by a clerk who worked in the department and who may have a dim recollection of the event.

There are doubtless some MPs whom one might suspect of feathering their nest at the expense of the taxpayer, as there are dishonest people in all walks of life. Caroline Spelman is patently not one of their number.

Jane Gould
Shaftesbury, Dorset

Sir, When the late Richard Boston ran for election to the European Parliament his sole platform was apparently to corner the perks. His slogan was “It’s a big trough and I want to get my nose in it”. Unfortunately, such honesty did not get him elected.

David L. Thomas
Upper Basildon, Berks

Explore Letters

• Feedback