Trust Party candidate for Perth and North Perthshire Douglas Taylor has set out his budget for expenses and allowances if elected to Parliament.

Mr Taylor said “At the start of the campaign I said that candidates and MPs should be held to account by the voters. The problem with an establishment solution to the MPs expences scandal is that there remains the possibility of an establishment stich-up. Many MPs are hoping for a large salary increase when the fuss over MPs expenses has died down.” “For this reason I have challenged my fellow candidates to set out in advance of the election how much of taxpayers money they budget to claim. I have also challenged them to commit to not taking a salary increase while pay freezes or cuts are being imposed on public sector workers. The deficit is the responsibility and fault of MPs after all.” “I am not aware of specific commitments on these particular points made by my fellow candidates. I would urge voters to look into this as the costs of politics and politicians is rising steeply in this country.” Mr Taylor continued “I have examined the expenses and allowances of Scottish and other MPs and I see that they have grown rapidly over the last few years. Most seem to be in the upper region of the range from £130,000 to £188,000 per year.” “I think that it is reasonable for an MP to have allowances to cover the costs of a secretary and a junior researcher. This was a role often carried out by people who had just left university. In addition modest costs for travel and staying in London seem reasonable to me.” “Looking at the costs of MPs I decided to make a budget for myself which would place me among the fifty most inexpensive MPs. Put another way I would aim to be less expensive than the top 600 most expensive MPs. It seems reasonable to me that I should have a target expendidture of £90,000 per year. I have come to this conclusion after looking at what others have claimed for staff and other costs and I know something of the cost of travel to London. These costs are less than almost any Scottish MP in the last parliament.” “I will also commit to not taking any salary increase during the course of the parliament. Inflation is the ultimate responsibility of our political leaders. The minds of the MPs would be concentrated on inflation if they restrained themselves from any salary increase over the course of a parliament.” “People should not be attracted into politics by money nor should they be prevented from entering parliament for that reason. Salaries and expenses should reflect the vocational appeal that there should be for the privilege of being in parliament.”

Christian sacked as Conservative Candidate for expressing his Christian beliefs
The logic of the statements by David Cameron and the Chairman of the Scottish Conservative Party means that
Traditional Christians and their views are explicitly unwelcome in the Conservative Party
  
Philip Lardner has also been suspended from his job as a primary school teacher.
 
Philip Lardner’s comments fall very far short of what is said in Romans Chapter 1 – in other words Philip’s words are very mild in comparison with what the New Testament says on homosexuality.
 
 
Please see:
http://www.philiplardner.com/index.html?_ret_=return
 
Philip says
 

With experience as a teacher and as a believer in parental rights and responsibilities, as your MP I will support the rights of parents and teachers to refuse to have their children taught that homosexuality is ‘normal’ behaviour or an equal lifestyle choice to traditional marriage.

I will always support the rights of homosexuals to be treated within concepts of (common sense) equality and respect, and defend their rights to choose to live the way they want in private, but I will not accept that their behaviour is ‘normal’ or encourage children to indulge in it.

The promotion of homosexuality by public bodies (as per ‘clause 28/section 2a in Scotland,) was correctly outlawed by Mrs Thatcher’s government.  Toleration and understanding is one thing, but state-promotion of homosexuality is quite another.

Why should Christian churches be forced by the Government to employ homosexuals as ‘ministers’ against all that the bible teaches?  They are being forced by the Government to betray their mission – would the Equality and Human Rights Commission be fined for refusing a job to Nick Griffin?

Christians (and most of the population) believe homosexuality to be somewhere between ‘unfortunate’ and simply ‘wrong’ and they should not be penalised for politely saying so – good manners count too, of course.

The current ‘law’ is wrong and must be overturned in the interests of freedom as well as Christian values.
 
 
 
David Cameron’s position
According to The Sun, Cameron acted “within minutes” and said about his decision “I could not have acted any quicker.”
http://www.pinkwire.co.uk/article.php?section_id=2&category_id=1&article_id=432
 

The Chairman of the Scottish Conservative Party
Andrew Fulton, chairman of the Scottish Conservatives, confirmed Mr Lardner’s party membership had been suspended, adding: “These views have no place in the modern Conservative party.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/election-2010/7615125/Tory-candidate-Philip-Lardner-suspended-over-gay-comments.html
 
 
 
 
The logic of what has been said by Philip Lardner and then David Cameron and the Chairman of the Scottish Conservative Party is that Christians are not welcome in the Conservative Party.

I do not believe that our soldiers should be rebuilding another country. We should pull them out.

If a group there significantly threatens us then we should reluctantly fight that & deter that by helping their local enemies. It is an ugly and imperfect response but not as bad as dropping ourselves into a civil war we don’t understand.

I would hope that the best pragmatic response to events in that country would not require supporting one side over another.

I am making my way around the shops and pubs while out on the street Richard and the team make a noise and hand out leaflets.

Some days everyone seems to be up in arms about all the politicians. Today I am getting a lot of sympathy for Gordon Brown. I agree. If anyone thinks that his actions yesterday show bad character relative to other politicians then they really are naive.

Blairgowrie’s top journalist tells me that he is not impressed at the way Brown was sneaked on. Are politicians not allowed to give off steam in private.

On the High Street in Perth I met a lady who is ‘loyal’ to Mr Cameron… I wish I’d thought to let her know that he is not a conservative.

Now finishing my lunch break with five others. It’s great to have supporters & activists.

In the very next shop the lady on the till responded very positively to the “I am the anti-politics candidate” line and after a brief explanation of my position she told me that she was sticking my leaflet up on the notice-board. I wish I’d thought at the time to give her two leaflets so that customers can read both sides.

On one occasion I had to explain after that that ‘no, I am not something similar to an anarchist.’

Otherwise, people were quite clear about the meaning. A very high proportion are against ‘the lot of them’.

Had some good conversations, meeting people is a great morale booster.