Cleaning up Westminster properly.

I've never trusted legislation made in haste, especially when the rush is being driven for political ends. Which is why I've been uneasy about MPs rushing through legislation designed to end abuse of Parliamentary expenses and allowances. Personally, I'm not even supportive of the idea that regulation of expenses should be handed over to an 'independent' body - but I can see that I'm on a loser with this one. Regulation should be handed over to the voters, and the way to do that is through total transparency. Beyond increasing transparency, I feel MPs should await the Christopher Kelly Report. Anyway, the Clerk to the House of Commons, Dr Malcolm Jack is being reported by tomorrow's Telegraph as dropping a grenade onto Gordon Brown's proposals to 'clean up' Parliament in a rush. Because of the devastation that the expenses row has inflicted on our democratic system, it is vital that proper thought and care is put into reform. Let it be done properly - and if that takes a bit more time, so be it.