The case to end Sinn Fein allowances

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Nigel Dodds MP writes for ePolitix.com ahead of his Westminster Hall debate on payment of allowances to MPs who refuse to take their seats.

The Democratic Unionist Party has consistently sought to remedy as many mistakes of the peace process as it can. This is neither a simple nor an easy task. We choose to persist with it to ensure that the Northern Ireland for which so many sacrifices were made is fully achieved.

One such error was granting parliamentary allowances to Sinn Fein despite their refusal to take their seats at Westminster.

Two Speakers of the House had ruled against granting Sinn Fein these allowances. Sinn Fein challenged this decision claiming the refusal was a denial of their voters' rights. The courts rejected these arguments. The decisions in each case was shown to be right and just.

The Blair government chose to ignore this and grant allowances to Sinn Fein. This created a two-tier structure for Members of Parliament. This "special status" was not a decision based on any sort of principle. It was simply an unnecessary concession to a selfish demand. Sinn Fein itself has made this clear. When challenged on their questionable use of accommodation allowances a Sinn Fein spokesperson defended it by saying:

"This was agreed as part of the political negotiations eight or nine years ago."

So questionable motivation led to a poor decision and created a bad principle. With a change in government there is an opportunity for legitimate motivation to result in a sensible decision and to re-establish a good principle – that all MPs should be treated in the same manner with no special treatment for one party.

Whilst in opposition the Conservatives made clear on repeated occasions their opposition to granting parliamentary allowances to Sinn Fein. Spokesperson after spokesperson stated their opposition to the decision and even sought to have the decision reversed in the House. This opposition was summed up when the now Northern Ireland secretary Owen Patterson stated: "It is inconceivable that incoming Conservative MPs would vote to continue paying millions of pounds of public money to elected members who do not take their seats."

Now the opportunity to act has come they have become inexplicably reticent. The Liberal Democrats allowed their MPs a free vote on this issue so it is hard to see the new coalition arrangements being the explanation.

The battle to regain public confidence in Parliament has by no means been won. The more delivery in government on promises made in opposition the better. It is good politics.

In an era of budget cuts it is easy to think that what are described as 'small' amounts of money don't matter. As Jen Henriksson, a Swedish official who oversaw their budget consolidation argues in his ten lessons:

"Do not forget the law of small numbers. One million here and two million there and we are talking real money. Never trust a minister of finance who says that you do not need to worry about pocket money."

In the course of this Parliament Sinn Fein would receive between £3-4m in allowances. Ending these allowances is good budgeting.

It can be hard to find an issue where good principle, good politics and good budgeting meet. When they do the sensible thing to do is act.

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