All in the Family
Many of our MPs employ family members to run - or help run - their parliamentary or constituency offices.
Earlier this year, Derek Conway (Tory MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup) ran into a spot of bother - it turned out that he was employing some of his children, as well as his spouse - to the tune of £260,000 over six years.
Quite what his children were doing for the money was another matter altogether and after a parliamentary investigation, a suitably disgraced Mr Conway was forced to apologise - and repay thousands of pounds, albeit a small fraction of the total shelled out for 'research work'.
But truth is they're all at it (employing family members that is) - or at least huge numbers of them - 200 plus according to newspaper reports.
And as with everything else, this vital information had to be dragged out of our honourable members - along with the previously hidden details of their expenses claims.
By employing a spouse an MP can give a welcome boost to their household income - to well over £100,000 a year - given that a backbench MP earns £64,766 (before expenses).
Other countries prevent their parliamentarians from employing family members - both the USA and Germany, for example - quite rightly they regard it as a conflict of interest.
And it now looks as if the UK is heading the same way. Is this a welcome development?
Yes, definitely - because there not much likelihood of a fair contest or interview - if an outside person and an MP's spouse - are competing for the same job.
Equal opportunities are not part of the process - when it comes to employing your better half.
Can you imagine dealing with a complaint - impartially and objectively - if your nearest and dearest is the one on the receiving end of the complaint?
It doesn't look or sound rigorous or professional - because it's not rigorous or professional. In fact it's completely amateurish - with personal convenience as it's only attraction.
So, the reality is that MPs should observe the same standards - and jump through the same hoops - as everyone else when it comes to equal opportunities.
In practice that means removing temptation - preventing MPs from employing their family members - because we all know what happens when MPs interpret the rules for themselves.
Earlier this year, Derek Conway (Tory MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup) ran into a spot of bother - it turned out that he was employing some of his children, as well as his spouse - to the tune of £260,000 over six years.
Quite what his children were doing for the money was another matter altogether and after a parliamentary investigation, a suitably disgraced Mr Conway was forced to apologise - and repay thousands of pounds, albeit a small fraction of the total shelled out for 'research work'.
But truth is they're all at it (employing family members that is) - or at least huge numbers of them - 200 plus according to newspaper reports.
And as with everything else, this vital information had to be dragged out of our honourable members - along with the previously hidden details of their expenses claims.
By employing a spouse an MP can give a welcome boost to their household income - to well over £100,000 a year - given that a backbench MP earns £64,766 (before expenses).
Other countries prevent their parliamentarians from employing family members - both the USA and Germany, for example - quite rightly they regard it as a conflict of interest.
And it now looks as if the UK is heading the same way. Is this a welcome development?
Yes, definitely - because there not much likelihood of a fair contest or interview - if an outside person and an MP's spouse - are competing for the same job.
Equal opportunities are not part of the process - when it comes to employing your better half.
Can you imagine dealing with a complaint - impartially and objectively - if your nearest and dearest is the one on the receiving end of the complaint?
It doesn't look or sound rigorous or professional - because it's not rigorous or professional. In fact it's completely amateurish - with personal convenience as it's only attraction.
So, the reality is that MPs should observe the same standards - and jump through the same hoops - as everyone else when it comes to equal opportunities.
In practice that means removing temptation - preventing MPs from employing their family members - because we all know what happens when MPs interpret the rules for themselves.
