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ANDREW DUFFIELD SETS THE STANDARD
May 28, 2009 12:41 AM
Hexham's Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate, Andrew Duffield, has proposed an "electoral covenant" between candidates and voters in response to the scandal over MP's expenses.
Ahead of any recommendations from the Kelly Committee on Standards in Public Life, Mr Duffield has published "10 Parliamentary Pledges", which go much further than the limited measures put forward by MPs so far - and has called on his rivals to sign up to them too.
Mr Duffield said: "It's time for higher standards at Westminster. I am shocked at how many MPs employ family members for example. It's hard to see how this would happen under a properly open and fair recruitment process, based purely on job related criteria.
"We can't wait for 'the authorities' to sort this out - and I don't believe that improved reporting of expenses is enough. This is an area where prospective MPs can take a lead right now and I am challenging my General Election opponents to match all of these standards accordingly.
"The people of Hexham deserve an MP who can be trusted to be completely honest, fully accountable and not seeking election for their own personal gain. I believe this covenant meets that minimum requirement and I call upon all Hexham candidates to sign up to it without delay."
Andrew Duffield's electoral covenant for Hexham makes these 10 Parliamentary Pledges:
I will not employ family members at public expense under any circumstances.
I will advertise all publicly funded jobs in the local press. All jobs, whether London or constituency based, will be advertised in the Hexham Courant and open to all on the basis of merit, measured against objective criteria published on my website.
I will publish a list of all employees on my website. I will also publish the total salary bill for these employees. However, in order to respect individual privacy, I will not publish any individual salaries other than my own.
I will publish details of all my expense claims at least monthly on my website. No expenses will be claimed without a bona fide receipt and my accounts will be independently verified on an annual basis at my own expense. An annual report, including all my expense details, will be sent to every home in the constituency.
I will only make an expense claim where I am incurring genuinely additional costs in the service of my Hexham constituents. Even if there are rules that allow me to claim for food and other items while staying away from home, I will not do this. I will only claim for costs that are both extra and unavoidable in my work as your MP.
I will not accept any gifts, gratuities, entertainment or favour from lobbyists or anyone else who might be seeking to influence my opinion. Listing such things in the Register of Members' Interests is not good enough. I simply won't take them.
I will not take any other paid employment, directorship or consultancy beyond being Hexham's full-time MP. I will gain understanding of the impact of legislation on businesses and on non-profit organisations as part of my role as your local MP.
I will maintain an accessible constituency office in Hexham and hold monthly constituents' surgeries at accessible venues in Hexham, Haltwhistle, Ponteland and Prudhoe. In addition, I will conduct an annual peripatetic surgery in rural areas.
I will maintain a second home for overnight accommodation in London, furnished at my own expense. If bought with public funds, I will proportionately repay 100% of any unearned increase in value at the end of my term of office.
I will voluntarily submit myself for recall to the constituents of Hexham upon receipt and verification of a petition of 10% of the local electorate. I will immediately resign as Hexham's MP in such circumstances, initiating a by-election accordingly.
Mr Duffield also confirmed that he would continue to fight for "real and radical" constitutional reforms, including a fair voting system, a fully elected upper chamber at Westminster and fiscal devolution to local authorities - with the power to set taxes and to vary national taxes locally.
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