To be clear, this is in no way a criticism of Andrew Turner, but a matter of National interest.
This Thursday, in two days time, MPs will vote to change the law to keep their expenses secret, but if you act quickly there’s something you can do to try and make sure that they don’t.
Brief history: Despite legitimate Freedom of Information requests, they have collectively refused to disclose the details of their spending. On the 16th of May 2008 the High Court ruled that MPs’ expenses must be published under the Freedom of Information Act.
By strange co-incidence, the vote on this proposal comes just before the publication of their expenses is due and after spending nearly a million of our pounds and seven months compiling the data.
It’s easy online
If you don’t think it’s right that MPs shouldn’t have to disclose how they’re spending your money, you can drop a polite note to your MP – in the Island’s case, Andrew Turner – asking them to vote against it.
Just click over to this helpful Web site; enter your postcode, your message (there’s even a spell checker built in) and click a couple of buttons. It sends you an email to check that your email address was correct and you’re done!
Andrew Turner’s office got in touch to say that in addition you’re very welcome to email Andrew directly at [email protected] too. Perhaps you could use both methods by just pasting.
Here’s what we put
Dear Andrew
I would appreciate if you would vote against the draft Freedom of Information (Parliament) Order 2009 this Thursday, which would restrict successful requests to ascertain the full details of MPs’ expenses.This request is nothing personal of course – I hold you in high regard – but it just seems wrong that MPs should be exempt from the law.
Yours
Go on, it will only take you a couple of minutes … it couldn’t be easier.
