May 2009

Last week I visited Enfield’s ambulance service based at The Ridgeway. At a time when we are very concerned about the fall out from Chase Farm’s A&E services being downgraded it was very reassuring to see how we have one of London’s best performing ambulance services on our doorstep. In fact now that Enfield is being piloted for the ‘New Ways of Working’ programme we can expect the ambulance response getting to our door 2 minutes sooner. The additional clinical expertise of paramedics and emergency care practitioners (ECP) on our doorstep also mean that there is a greater ability to stabilise and care for patients before arrival at hospital. Being out on call with the ambulance service made me appreciate the great debt we owe to our local emergency services, which we will rely upon more in the future.

Parliament also resembles an A&E ward at the moment over the expenses scandals. The deep mistrust and anger following the revelations about MPs expenses and allowances has put Parliament in a state of emergency and needing urgent reform. Transparency is the best medicine to clean up politics. I have previously published a full breakdown of my expenses because the public have a right to know how their taxpayers’ money is spent. I am also pleased to publish all my past and future claims for expenses on my website www.davidburrowes.com. You need to hold me to account for not only what I say and do in Parliament and the constituency but also my conduct and character which is reflected by, among other things, the way I spend and account for taxpayers money.

Parliament is now getting its house in order, with the Speaker deciding to step down and new interim rules on allowances being put in place to begin the process of restoring public confidence pending a comprehensive reform by the independent inquiry led by Sir Christopher Kelly. The crisis does provide an opportunity to go further than the issue of expenses, and ensure that Parliament becomes not only cleaner but stronger. One of my most frustrating experiences in Parliament is that too often important legislation has been given too short time to effectively scrutinise. A new Speaker needs also to herald a new enhanced role for MPs to properly hold the Executive to account.