Good start but transparency still needed…

The Party President, Ros Scott, has e-mailed all members with the outcome of Monday’s Federal Executive meeting. Firstly, it is pleasing to see that there will be a binding code of conduct for Liberal Democrat MP’s and candidates. This is good news as is the fact that we will “end the self-regulation of Parliament” although we wait to see what that specifically means in concrete terms.

However, the requirement for transparency and for all our MP’s to fully publish their expenses online was conspicuous by it’s absence. Unless, of course, it is to be part of the code of conduct? Either way I think this is one issue that needs some clarification; pleading ‘data protection’ doesn’t really wash when David Cameron has already fully published the Shadow Cabinet’s expenses.

Appreciating it can take time does not mean we cannot declare the intent. Transparency is an absolute must in this new climate; it is not an optional extra.