No more 2nd mortgages for MPs

[Dodger666]

What fantastic news in today's press, if it come true. It's proposed that MPs must rent their second homes and not claim mortgage interest on second homes. In addition they will be unable to employ members of their familes. MPs who live within one hours train travel from Westminster can't claim for second homes or travel expenses either.

The only downside is it will take 5 years to bring these reforms in. I would suggest they are introduced from the next General Election onwards. Any MP who doen't like it can stand down and let some one who wants to do the job take their place.

[LazyGun]

@geezer - Burton on Trent as rhyming slang for rent? Never heard that one before, and I used to live there! :)

In general, what fascinates me about the latest protests is the number of MPs who so vociferously defend employing family as assistants / researchers etc. If this sort of nepotism were to be exposed in any other walk of life they would be all over it, highlighting it as the self evidently unfair practice it is - and not forgetting the fact that for many of them, it represents yet another means of adding public money to their own families income stream.

Renting is most definitely a better option than buying IMO. In Sweden ( at least, I think its Sweden) They have state owned,purpose built flats which the MPs can rent out - and the monthly living allowance each MP is entitled to is just sufficient to cover the rent of one of these flats.. And ultimately of course, it means that the rent money is coming back into the public purse.They are free to rent elsewhere should they wish, but should it be more than their official allowance, they have to fund it out of their own pocket. That sounds eminently fair and sensible to me.

I also think that 5 years seems too long to bring in these reforms - I suppose they are linking it to the life of a parliament but that just seems lazy to me.

[Oneeyedvic]

ummm - did you ever take dividends instead of a salary (if you ran a limited company) - would you class that as illegal? Did you employ any member of your family? Should that of been illegal?

[Sandy-Wroe]

Could an MP employ another MP's partner on the condition that they employed his/hers?

[ummmm]

Oneeye....I took a salary.

Yes I did employ my sister. We had 55 emplyees at that time so I needed some help in the office as I was the only one. She worked for us 2 days a week. I also had 3 young children so she would cover for me when I had appointments etc.

[jno]

Zeuhl, yes, good point about the flipping. But maybe they should just outlaw flipping. One main property and that\'s it.