Fixing our broken politics

I heard David Cameron in Gateshead today. I thought he was on excellent form.

The proposal to improve on Labour's proposal to support new parents by untrained Outreach workers as part of Surestart by instead re-establishing a proper Health Visitor Network got most of the media attention. But another part of his speech was even more significant - fixing our broken politics and rebuilding trust.

For too long politicians have promised the earth and delivered too little. David Cameron emphasised that we must promise only what we can deliver. One of the things we can and must deliver is clear accountability and tranaparency in the spending of taxpayers money on MPs salaries and expenses. Most MPs do not abuse the system, but some in all parties have done so, and we have to ensure that the few do not drag down the reputation not just of their own parties, not just of those MPs who are innocent, but of the whole political process.

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