Are MPs worth £5?
Total number of British Soldiers killed in Afghanistan = 330
If I had done this as MP, my wife would have divorced me - possibly posthumously.
Spent the day in deepest North West Leicester-shire hunting out anecdotes about the subject of my new book. David Taylor MP died without warning on Boxing Day last year. He remains my hero as a skilled devoted model backbencher. Many of the stories I recorded today praised his humour, integrity and courage. One anecdote shocked.
He was attacked by a prominent local Conservative who had claimed that every MP cost every constituent the sum of £4.80 a year. David was aghast. He had an accurate judgement of the worth of his vast constituency work. Sadly this view is not shared by all constituents. In fury David issue a challenge that makes my blood run. He promised that any constituent who did not think David was worth £4.80 should contact him and he would send them a fiver.
David was great with statistics. He was a professional accountant. Had he done his arithmetic and worked out how much £5 multiplied by 75,000 constituents would be. £375,000 would ruin most MPs. Even a small percentage of political enemies putting their claims in could have ruined the Taylor family finances. It must have been a great relief when only about a dozen demanded their £5.
Phew!