In preparing my work for the summer recess I looked at the 565 voluntary groups/organisations (VO’s) in my constituency and decided to hold a series of “Open Days” inviting the organisations to attend open meetings with me in their own communities. Unfortunately my health scare in September put my schedule back three weeks but I am now back on schedule and have now held four open days, i.e. two in Carluke and two in Larkhall and they have proved very valuable to me and I have been delighted with the response from local VO’s. There are eight still to do and they will be completed over the coming weeks.
Kelly
The much awaited Kelly Report was published last week. Its success or failure is still to be determined. The pressures of expectation on Sir Christopher Kelly’s inquiry were huge and the same pressures are now transferred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), whose duty it is to agree and implement a new system of MP’s allowances from Sir Christopher Kelly’s Report.
Kelly’s proposal to ban 100 or so MP’s who live within a hours travelling distance of London, from second home allowances; sacking working wives and stopping mortgages for second homes found some popular support. The need for the IPSA to take on board the recommendations of Kelly and implement them in a new system of allowances ASAP must be a priority for all concerned.
Open Days / Kelly
19 November, 2009
Open Days
In preparing my work for the summer recess I looked at the 565 voluntary groups/organisations (VO’s) in my constituency and decided to hold a series of “Open Days” inviting the organisations to attend open meetings with me in their own communities. Unfortunately my health scare in September put my schedule back three weeks but I am now back on schedule and have now held four open days, i.e. two in Carluke and two in Larkhall and they have proved very valuable to me and I have been delighted with the response from local VO’s. There are eight still to do and they will be completed over the coming weeks.
Kelly
The much awaited Kelly Report was published last week. Its success or failure is still to be determined. The pressures of expectation on Sir Christopher Kelly’s inquiry were huge and the same pressures are now transferred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), whose duty it is to agree and implement a new system of MP’s allowances from Sir Christopher Kelly’s Report.
Kelly’s proposal to ban 100 or so MP’s who live within a hours travelling distance of London, from second home allowances; sacking working wives and stopping mortgages for second homes found some popular support. The need for the IPSA to take on board the recommendations of Kelly and implement them in a new system of allowances ASAP must be a priority for all concerned.