How impressive is the Bercow regime? He gave the impression of shrill economy today, speeding through the order paper whilst blowing his cheeks like Zephyr to present a fresh breeze. However, that Aeolian scent is still wafting through the Augean stable before catching our nostrils and it appears that Bercow is no Heracles.
First comes the unwelcome revelation that the blackout continues in respect of MPs expenses. Theri addresses will remain redacted so that we will be unable to trace whether they are continuing to flip their houses about, juggling allowances and capital gains tax. Perhaps Bercow has no direct authority to stop this, but he has a moral opening to cut across such practices:
Despite repeated promises by Gordon Brown of greater transparency, there are
no plans to reveal MPs’ addresses when claims relating to 2008-09 are
published later this year. Without this crucial information, many of the
worst abuses of the system of parliamentary
allowances exposed by The Daily Telegraph in recent weeks would not
have been possible.
Brown has achieved his favoured solution, with the support of Bercow, who rushed to plant his feet in the door of Number Ten (whilst he is still wellcome). A cumbersome quango has been established with new criminal offences (never to be tested), strong and contradictory rules that can used to penalise any MP (at the favour of the Executive) and no sunset clause:
The new IPSA [Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority] will consist of a chief executive, five commissioners and an investigator, probably modelled on the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, currently John Lyon.
As well as administering payments using staff transferred from the fees office, it will be able to force MPs to pay back allowances and set the rules on allowances without separate Parliamentary approval. The body will be given the right to set up new rules, meaning its powers could grow substantially over time.
Although we hear that these proposals have opposition support, I am still waiting for the Tories or the Liberal Democrats to pipe up and accept this ghastly quango in toto. Bercow may have been willing to provide visible support to Brown's ailing reputation for reform and transparency as his first impartial action in office, but he has run off without half the House. As Peter Riddell knows, we need strong scruting of this half-baked Bercow Brown brew.