Reform Parliament

The Houses of Parliament are Britain's premier public institution. They make the law. They take the country to war. They raise taxes, run the economy and spend billions.

Yet some Members of Parliament are corrupt. The chamber where Churchill  made his famous wartime speeches rustles to the sound of expenses claim forms. Two members of the unelected House of Lords have been suspended for offering to amend the law in exchange for money. The last time that happened was in 1642. A reformed parliament is desperately needed.

MPs' Expenses

There's widespread public anger at the MPs' expenses scandal. At a time of economic austerity and following close on the bankers' bonus scandal it's intolerable for some MPs to line their pockets at taxpayers' expense, to go to court to prevent the abuses from emerging, to blame the press for exposing their conduct, and to use the concentration guard defense: 'I was only obeying the rules.'

Everyone knows MPs write the rules which are then policed by officials answerable to MPs.

A new political contract

• proportional representation
• an elected second chamber
• reduced powers for the whips
• elected committee chairmen
• proper scrutiny of all legislation
• no outside employment for MPs
• an independently administered expenses system with all receipts placed online
• a register of lobbyists
• a written constitution and a bill of rights