Esther Rantzen - a political life

At a time when a number of MPs who have passed the state retirement age have taken the decision to stand down at the next general election, we learn from a news report in the Daily Telegraph that Esther Rantzen (68) is thinking about embarking on a new career in politics. In the spirit of clearing out the rubbish from our rotten Parliament, our Esther has confirmed that she would stand for election in Luton if the current MP Margaret Moran stood again.

Miss Rantzen said: "I am absolutely shocked by an opaque process where nobody, nobody in Westminster, nobody in Luton South knows what's happening with Margaret Moran and I think that's a symptom of what is wrong with our current attitude. I think certainly the people in Luton South deserve to know, knowing how she claims her allowances, what the Labour Party intends to do. So I can't tell you at this moment whether or not she will be deselected, but if she stands, I will stand."

Westminster Goblin suspects that Margaret Moran (54) can see the writing is on the wall and will reconsider her position and elect to take her early retirement from Westminster. That's life, Margaret!

Anthony Steen MP

Anthony Steen claimed £87,000 from the taxpayer as part of his parliamentary expenses on a country mansion with 500 trees offers this grovelling apology.

Steen: "I have done nothing criminal. That's the most awful thing. And do you know what this is about? Jealousy. I've got a very, very large house. Some people say it looks like Balmoral, it's the photographs. It looks like Balmoral. It's a Merchants house of the nineteenth century, it's not particularly attractive, it just does me nicely. It's got room to plant a few trees".

Of course, he blames it on the Labour Government.

Steen: "This was no fault on my part. We have a wretched Government here which has completely mucked up the system and caused the resignation of me and many others, because it was this Government that introduced the Freedom of Information Act and it is this Government that insisted on the things which caught me on the wrong foot. "What right does the public have to interfere with my private life? None!"

He has announced he will step down at the next election.

Steen: The pressure came from the constituents. I took soundings and they were absolutely beside themselves with anger.

He later apologised "unreservedly" for the comments.

Steen: "I apologise unreservedly for some of the comments that I made in the interview on the World at One, recorded last night. I was so deeply upset with the situation which resulted in me overreacting. I am sorry that in the heat of the moment I said inappropriate things that weren’t as measured as I would have liked about the Freedom of Information Act, which I entirely support. I may also have given a misleading impression of the agreement I reached with David Cameron in our conversation yesterday. I will have nothing further to say about this matter."

Related articles by Zemanta

• MPs' expenses: Anthony Steen to stand down as MP at next election (telegraph.co.uk)
• MPs' expenses: Anthony Steen claims people just jealous of his large house (telegraph.co.uk)
• Tory MP says it was OK to bill taxpayer for his 500 tree forest, critics are "jealous" of his private forest (boingboing.net)

The evil of temptation

---

MPs' expenses have been regarded by honourable members as a luxury 'perk of the job' in addition to their generous salary and pension benefits. The electorate have learnt the behaviour of MPs regarding the expenses scandal exposed in the Daily Telegraph is akin to a group of children being left alone in a candy shop.

When children are left unsupervised under such circumstances, they can have the habit of overindulging on the confectionary. They'll feel sick afterwards and become remorseful of their over eating. What is the lesson to be learnt from this outrageous display of financial greed from our MPs? - Don’t put temptation in the way of children by leaving the lid off the candy jar.