Why I support Tory MP employing his wife...despite his dirty tricks

In the wake of the Derek Conway scandal, South Holland and The Deepings MP John Hayes (Conservative) has revealed that he employs his wife Susan on the public payroll at his Spalding office.

I'll resist the temptation to make cheap points about Mr Hayes - despite his disgraceful attack on me last year when he personally delivered misleading leaflets down my street portraying me as a high claimer of expenses as an elected county councillor, when the reverse is the truth.

I've no idea how many hours Mrs Hayes works for her husband, what she does or how much taxpayers cash she is paid for doing whatever it is she does. Like many MPs of all political persuasions, Mr Hayes doesn't want to say and under present rules, he and his staff are entitled to keep that information secret.

But putting his dirty tricks aside for a moment, I defend his right to properly employ his wife and hope that the fall-out from the Derek Conway scandal will not result in a ban on the practice.

The blatant greed of Mr Hayes' less than honourable colleague in paying his son Freddie £40,000 for doing very little work may change all that. For if the Conway scandal has a silver cloud, it's highlighting the long overdue need for modernisation in what and how Mr Hayes and other MPs claim public funds.

For the sake of democracy itself and restoring trust in those we elect to represent us, it is vital that the expenses and staff salaries are made more transparent and accountable.

But as I've already pointed out, if we follow the American example and ban MPs partners from working for them, I believe we'd be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

If MPs are to provide a service to constituents, it has to be paid for. It's right of course that we should know whether our MP employs a relative, but just because he does, we shouldn't assume the worst.

Despite recent media storm - which has damaged the credibility of all politicians in the public eye - the fact is that many partners of MPs put in long hours of work well beyond the call of duty.

The issue is whether the taxpayer is getting value for money.

Or in the case of Derek Conway, whether we're all being fleeced for loadsa money to pay his family to do nowt.

In the case of Mr Hayes' dirty tricks, I'm sure he wouldn't dream of using my taxes - or yours - to deliver personal attacks on my integrity...

When will we let the train take the strain...?

How about a blog in support of those excellent citizens who are campaigning to reopen Littleworth Halt at Deeping St Nicholas on the criminally neglected Peterborough-Spalding train line?

This was the request I received from Brynley earlier this week as a comment on one of my posts. I had to confess I'd totally missed the story about the campaign to reopen Littleworth Halt.

But thanks to another prod from Brynley, I've discovered the story HERE at the Lincs Free Press.

And I'm glad to give the campaign an airing.

Isn't it ridiculous that half-empty trains never stop at some of our larger villages, leaving would-be passengers to cope with ever busier roads as we create ever more commuter-dorms along the A16 and A15 roads.

A decade or so past, a few of us here in The Deepings campaigned - without success -to get our local rail station re-opened. It's one (non) stop on the same Peterborough-Spalding line as Deeping St Nick.

Unfortunately, the former St James Deeping station is rather remote, being a country mile from The Deepings. It's also on the 'wrong' side of the centre of population which doesn't help the case to get it reopened.

That didn't stop a bunch of rail enthusiasts dreaming up fancy drawings for new rails to be laid for a branch line to bring trains nearer The Deepings (I recall checking my diary at the time to see if it was the first day of April...)

But sadly, our efforts to even get the old St James Deeping halt reopened came to nought. The so-called experts said it would cost millions and would be an expensive white elephant.

Funny isn't it how traditionally, public money for public transport is 'subsidy' yet cash spent on laying tarmac is termed 'investment'...?

But I haven't given up on St James Deeping. It may be a slow-burner, but I believe it's an idea whose time will surely come.

At some point, ever-increasing road congestion will force affordable advances in technology to improve public transport - which will hopefully include increased use of our existing and neglected rail network.

Already in London, the new Docklands Light Railway carries millions of city-commuters from new unmanned stations on computer-controlled trains that don't even need a driver!

You may have to 'watch this space' for a while yet for the London experience to filter to rural Lincs.

But locally how long can we go on building hundreds more houses along the A15 and A16 corridors, creating more cars on the roads, with ever longer, more polluting journeys, and growing parking issues in Peterborough...?

Some day, surely the penny will drop...