Monday, August 09, 2010
MPs still not getting it
Today's Daily Telegraph reports that officials working for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority have had to endure shouted insults and threats of legal action from MPs angry at the strict rules now imposed on their parliamentary allowances:
IPSA employees put up a sign stating that “abuse of staff will not be tolerated” after they were repeatedly harangued by members complaining that they had not been paid money they were owed, or that old entitlements had been withdrawn following last year’s scandal.
It has now emerged that under Nigel Gooding, IPSA’s original operations director – who left “for the sake of my health and sanity” earlier this summer – staff also devised a system similar to that used in football to deal with misconduct.
Under the unofficial scheme, any MPs who were rude to staff in telephone conversations or face-to-face meetings would be given a warning – equivalent to a “yellow card” caution.
Those who were deemed guilty of repeated or particularly serious verbal abuse would be restricted to communicating in writing with IPSA staff – a “red card” – rather than being allowed to argue with them in person or on the phone.
This has obviously been a traumatic time for MPs but that is no excuse to act in this way towards staff who are just doing their job. It would not be tolerated anywhere else and staff should not have to put up with it here either.
IPSA employees put up a sign stating that “abuse of staff will not be tolerated” after they were repeatedly harangued by members complaining that they had not been paid money they were owed, or that old entitlements had been withdrawn following last year’s scandal.
It has now emerged that under Nigel Gooding, IPSA’s original operations director – who left “for the sake of my health and sanity” earlier this summer – staff also devised a system similar to that used in football to deal with misconduct.
Under the unofficial scheme, any MPs who were rude to staff in telephone conversations or face-to-face meetings would be given a warning – equivalent to a “yellow card” caution.
Those who were deemed guilty of repeated or particularly serious verbal abuse would be restricted to communicating in writing with IPSA staff – a “red card” – rather than being allowed to argue with them in person or on the phone.
This has obviously been a traumatic time for MPs but that is no excuse to act in this way towards staff who are just doing their job. It would not be tolerated anywhere else and staff should not have to put up with it here either.
Comments:
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Spot on, we need squeaky clean government everywhere to give the electorate confidence in the process of governance.
ahh stonemason the electorate could not care less about squeaky clean they are more interested who has the nicest voice or is the best groomed or who can act the most plausible or who would be best to invite their daughters wedding
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