New campaign targets expenses MPs
Wednesday, 10 March 2010 12:00 AM
MPs deemed to have committed "crimes against democracy" will be targeted by a new third-party pressure group at the general election.
The Power2010 campaign plans on spending nearly £1 million it has received from the Rowntree Trusts to target constituencies where the sitting MP is judged to have consistently opposed reform of Britain's political system.
Former Home Office minister Tony McNulty is the first MP to be attacked. His Harrow East constituency will be plastered with "wanted" posters and thousands of floating voters will receive literature highlighting his alleged opposition to cleaned-up politics.
Mr McNulty was forced to apologise to the Commons and repay over £13,000 for expenses abuses, after claiming second homes allowance for a property his parents lived in in Harrow, eight miles from his home in central London.
"This local campaign in Tony McNulty's seat is just the beginning," Power2010 director Pam Giddy said.
"No matter what your party, if you're an MP who blocks democratic reform, attacks our civil liberties, cheats your expenses and shamelessly attempts to keep it secret, you'll be hearing from us.
"This is about ensuring we have a reforming parliament after the election. We're going to keep up the pressure until election day to make sure the people who want to represent us in parliament take seriously the need for change."
Power2010 is asking members of the public to nominate MPs which have blocked change here.
The campaign has adopted five pledges after receiving over 100,000 votes to decide its proposed reforms.
Proportional voting, scrapping ID cards and replacing the Lords with an elected chamber are combined with allowing only English MPs to vote on English laws and drawing up a written constitution.
The unveiling of its first poster campaign comes a day before three expenses MPs charged with criminal offences appear before Westminster magistrates court.
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