(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The majority of people in Britain want swift action, including a snap ballot, over the ongoing scandal of expense claims by members of Parliament, according to a poll by Communicate Research released by the BBC. 64 per cent of respondents think that MPs named and shamed in the newspapers over their expense claims should be forced to resign, and 65 per cent think the country should hold a new general election.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The majority of people in Britain want swift action, including a snap ballot, over the ongoing scandal of expense claims by members of Parliament, according to a poll by Communicate Research released by the BBC. 64 per cent of respondents think that MPs named and shamed in the newspapers over their expense claims should be forced to resign, and 65 per cent think the country should hold a new general election.
In addition, at least 64 per cent of respondents think British prime minister Gordon Brown should fire ministers who have been accused of making excessive claims, and that the leaders of the Conservative party and the Liberal Democrats should also force senior members involved in the scandal to leave their posts.
In June 2007, Brown officially became Labour leader and prime minister, replacing Tony Blair. Brown had worked as chancellor of the exchequer. Blair served as Britain’s prime minister since May 1997, winning majority mandates in the 1997, 2001 and 2005 elections to the House of Commons.
Since December 2005, David Cameron has been the leader of the Conservative party. In December 2007, current parliamentarian Nick Clegg became the new leader of the Liberal Democrats.
Earlier this month, British newspaper Daily Telegraph published a leaked memo showing that several lawmakers have spent their allowances on things such as tennis court repairs, horse manure, light bulbs, pornographic movies and even mortgage payments. The scandalous revelations have greatly affected the reputation of Britain’s Parliament, mostly because such expenses billed to the tax payers are technically allowed due to loose regulation. Members of all major political parties have been implicated in the scandal.
On May 19, Michael Martin, speaker of the House of Commons, resigned—a first in over three centuries—over the expense row. Martin was accused of resisting new legislation that would have made lawmakers’ expenses more transparent.
Brown has resisted calls to call an early election.
On May 22, Conservative lawmaker Anthony Steen said that he will stand down at the next election. Steen blamed his decision on the public’s anger over the scandal, but maintained that he has done nothing wrong. Steen, who reportedly claimed over $140,000 U.S. in purchases for his second home, said: "I’ve done nothing criminal, that’s the most awful thing, and do you know what it’s about? Jealousy. I’ve got a very, very large house. Some people say it looks like Balmoral. It’s a merchant’s house of the 19th century. It’s not particularly attractive, it just does me nicely."
The next election to the House of Commons must be held on or before Jun. 3, 2010. Sitting prime ministers can dissolve Parliament and call an early ballot at their discretion.
Polling Data
Over recent weeks there have been a series of media stories about MPs’ expenses and allowances. In light of this, do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?
|
|
Agree |
Disagree |
Not sure |
|
MPs named and shamed in the newspapers over their expense claims should be forced to stand down from Parliament |
64% |
34% |
2% |
|
Gordon Brown should call a general election at the earliest possible opportunity |
65% |
33% |
2% |
|
Gordon Brown should sack ministers who have been accused in the newspapers of making excessive claims |
66% |
31% |
3% |
|
David Cameron should sack shadow cabinet members who have been accused by the newspapers of making excessive claims |
64% |
33% |
4% |
|
Nick Clegg should sack members of his frontbench team who have been accused by the newspapers of making excessive claims |
65% |
30% |
5% |
Source: Communicate Research / BBC
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,011 British adults, conducted on May 13 and May 14, 2009. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
