Money For Old Rope

I sent a letter to IPSA the other day - IPSA being the independent parliamentary body which oversees the payment of salaries and expenses to MPs at Westminster.

I can't think of any other walk of life where someone would be paid their full salary - having deliberately put themselves in a position where they are unable to do their job. 

So let's see what comes back.

By e-mail

Dear IPSA 

Payment of MPs' Salaries and Expenses

I would like to raise a complaint with you over the payment of MPs' salaries and that of one honourable member in particular - Nadine Dorries.

I understand from various news reports that Nadine Dorries is in a jungle somewhere in Australia as a contestant in a TV programme -  instead of doing her day job as an MP at the House of Commons in Westminster or in her parliamentary seat of Mid-Bedfordshire.

I am not a constituent of Nadine Dorries, but as a taxpayer I object to the Member of Parliament drawing a public salary when she is patently unable to carry out the responsibilities of her job.

The same must surely be true of any claims for parliamentary expenses and I presume that Nadine Dorries will be ineligible to submit any such claims for periods when she is physically out of the country.

I would therefore ask IPSA to suspend payment of her salary and expenses until Nadine Dorries returns to the UK and demonstrates that she is able to fulfil her day-to-day responsibilities as an elected MP.

I look forward to your reply.

Kind regards


Mark Irvine