Silence is golden? Karen Buck’s regret over support for MPs resettlement grants

Published: 12 March 2010
by JAMIE WELHAM

KAREN Buck has admitted she regrets speaking out in favour of keeping resettlement grants for MPs, after she claimed comments reported in the national press were “skewed”, and had been used to paint her as greedy.

The Labour MP for Regent’s Park and Kensington North  made a submission to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) – the body charged with drawing up a new expenses claim system – after it proposed scrapping “golden goodbye” payments made to MPs when they leave the House of Commons.

She argued that to remove the grant – up to £65,000 in some cases – would discourage people from less wealthy backgrounds becoming MPs because there would be no “insurance” for the insecurity of a job where you can sud­denly be voted out of office.

Despite the proposed new rules not coming into force until after the next general election – meaning Ms Buck would still be entitled to a resettlement grant if she lost her seat this year – her views have been seen by some as an indicator of nerves ahead of the forthcoming election.

The submission said: “The removal of any resettlement grant for sitting members will place real pressures on those without personal resources; those middle/ late middle age and those with long service who have little prospect of returning to a career that they left for Parliament.”

IPSA’s view is that job insecurity should be part of life for an MP. In the consultation document it states: “MPs voluntarily accept a career with a high level of uncertainty and we understand that many would want arrangements in place to help mitigate that uncertainty. We do not believe, however, that there is a clear-cut case that the taxpayer should bear the cost of supporting those arrangements.”

Ms Buck told the West End Extra: “For me this is about a principle. I am not motivated by money in the slightest and I think the term ‘golden goodbye’ is ridiculous. If resettlement grants are scrapped it will put people off from entering politics, and politics will solely be for the wealthy. We don’t have a vote on it and we don’t have a say on it but we are entitled to have a view about it. I wish I had ­never even bothered.”

But Joanne Cash, Ms Buck’s Conservative rival in the newly created Westminster North seat, said she would support the reform.

She said: “I am committed to abolishing the golden goodbye. It is just one of the perks of the current system being abused by MPs. Why should the ­taxpayer fork out £60,000 to someone who has the experience of working in the best parliament in the world on their CV? Frankly, if that person is not fit for employment elsewhere they are not fit to be in Parliament either. 

“I am passionate about the reform of the expenses system and of the House of Commons in general.”