Chris White has been launched a survey on 'restoring trust in politics' - to see what residents would like to see done to restore trust in politics, and in politicians, in the wake of the MPs' expenses scandal. Hundreds of people have already taken part - and you can still let Chris know your views on the subject by downloading a copy of the survey to complete (see right).
In a statement outlining his pledges over expenses, Chris said: "Knocking on doors across the constituency, I frequently hear how angry people are with MPs and their widespread abuse of expenses. What has been exposed would be wrong at any time, but is particularly galling whilst so many people are struggling so hard right now to make ends meet. People are genuinely disgusted. I know how they feel, because I’m angry too.
"Many have said they feel so betrayed by MPs, and so astonished by their hypocrisy, that they have decided to give up on politics and politicians altogether. However, there is another way. If elected as your MP at the coming election, I promise you the following. I will:
- never claim for food
- never claim for furniture or household goods
- publish all my personal and office expenses incurred as your Member of Parliament on my website
- open up my unedited expenses claims to local newspapers on a regular basis
- meet my own tax liabilities, such as stamp duty, myself – without claiming them from the taxpayer
"These are my commitments towards restoring faith in politics locally. The truth is, the only way we can start afresh is to have a General Election as soon as possible, to elect representatives who know that they are there to serve the people not themselves. For me, serving you in Parliament would be a privilege and an honour – not a way to make a fast buck."
August 2009
