Jonathan Bishop Chartered IT Professional Fellow

8 Heol-y-Parc, Efail Isaf, Pontypridd, West Wales & The Valleys CF38 1AN, Wales, GB jonathan@jonathanbishop.org.uk
5 July 2013 IPSA 7th floor Portland House Bressenden Place London SW1E 5BH

07092 107212 @jonathan_bishop

Dear Sirs, Re: Equality of Opportunity I dont know if I am being out of place writing to you as a member of the public, but I would like to share with you my views on how I think the entitlements of Members of Parliament should be calculated. I would like it to be based on the following principles: The rules for them (MPs) should be as far as possible equal to the rules for us (the people) In terms of MPs second homes their allowances should be based on: Rights and exclusions equivalent to Housing Benefit. Number of rooms allowed for their children based on the bedroom tax rules. They should not be allowed to claim council tax relief unless one of their homes is empty or as may otherwise be the case in relation to us the people. In terms of the allowances they are allowed to claim back: The same values of allowable expenditure that are allowed in terms of self-assessment. They should have to forego the same amount on payments in kind as one of the people would have to be taxed on something on their P11D. In terms of Government Ministers: Their use of the ministerial car should be on the same basis as company cars. They should have to pay the extra to upgrade a standard class rail ticket to first class for them and their aide in the same way a disabled person and their companion claiming from the Access 2 Work scheme would if they needed that facility. In terms of MPs who are off sick: The rules relating to Statutory Sick Pay, Employment and Support Allowance, or Universal Credit as appropriate, should be applied to them in real-terms. In terms of MPs who are retiring: If they continue to receive a payment for leaving their ministerial post or as an MP, the payment they receive should not be above the maximum allowed for redundancy pay. Any pension they receive should be no more than someone in the private sector would receive in a similarly waged job.

Qualifications BSc(Hons), MSc, MScEcon, LLM, ACLIP, MIET, MIEEE, FRSA, FRAI, FBCS, CITP

It would be my ideal if one day any elected representative with a staffing allowance would only be allowed to use this to engage qualified and independent civil servants as opposed to party hacks. It might be that if the same civil servants stayed in place regardless of who the MP was, this might provide the people with a better and more consistent experience. I have had problems dealing with MPs whom I have a difference of opinion like Steve Rotheram due to him employing party hacks like Gavin Callaghan who lack the maturity and ethics to act in the public interest, and with the values expected in a democratic society, in the way an experienced civil servant doing the same job would. I think it would also be fair for those MPs claiming to be sick to have to undergo the same Work Capacity Test as people on Incapacity Benefit or Employment and Support Allowance. Those MPs who pass this test should not be allowed any allowances, and/or if they dont return to work then a bye-election should be called. Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Bishop

Qualifications BSc(Hons), MSc, MScEcon, LLM, ACLIP, MIET, MIEEE, FRSA, FRAI, FBCS, CITP