Duncan Hames' pledges to local people on MPs' pay and expenses

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 19th Jun 2009

Local Liberal Democrat campaigner, Duncan Hames, is making three pledges to local people about how he will act if he is elected as our MP in the next General Election.

1. A full-time MP

If elected as your next MP, I will give up my business and will not be paid for any job or activities other than being a Member of Parliament. You deserve a dedicated, full-time MP.

2. No profit from expenses

I will not use taxpayers' money to pay any part of the mortgage for a second home. I will only claim for expenses actually incurred to support my work on behalf of local people, and will publish all my expense claims for everyone to see.

3. No family favour

I will never employ any family or household members using tax-payers' money. As your MP, I will conduct open recruitment for staff and advertise all permanent publicly-funded posts in local newspapers.

Speaking about his decision to make these pledges Duncan said: "Like so many of the local people I have spoken to over recent weeks, I was angry and disappointed by revelations about how selfish and irresponsible some MPs have been with our money.

"It doesn't have to be this way. I am making these pledges now to give local people some confidence that they can expect a high standard of behaviour from their next Member of Parliament.

"You deserve a full-time MP who is open and about how they use your money, and who does not profit from it.

"We have heard too many excuses about what was 'within the rules', but put simply: your next MP should know right from wrong. Whatever measures emerge from Parliament later this year, be assured that these are the new standards you can expect from me as your next MP."