Our submissions to Power2010
Power2010, the campaign to revitalise democracy, has been asking supporters to send ideas for political reform. The TaxPayers' Alliance has sent two ideas, and, with pleasing symmetry, so have we.
Our first suggestion takes its cue from Richard Muphy's eminently sensible observation that "you shouldn't be a non-dom and an MP". We told Power2010:
"MPs and Lords must be domiciled and fully tax resident in the UK. Politicians have no legitimacy to vote on taxes which they themselves avoid by claiming non-domiciled tax status."
Our second suggestion extends and strengthens the TPA's call to Power2010 for increased transparency over public spending. We said:
"Extend the Freedom of Information Act to all bodies undertaking public services, including private contractors and Private Finance Initiative providers. Private companies that provide public services receive taxpayers' money and so should be subject to the same scrutiny as public sector bodies. In particular, private contractors should not be able to hide their operations behind 'corporate confidentiality' clauses."
You can submit your own suggestions via the Power2010 website, but you'll need to be quick: the deadline is midnight.
Posted by Clifford Singer at 02:32pm on 30 November 2009
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