The Caravan Club and the Demise of Democracy

Amess Takes Bung from Caravanners

I've always thought that caravanners were bent destroying commerce by dragging their ugly, useless boxes behind their cars. I've also always thought that the self-satisfied bastards had it in for me, but that's just paranoia and the medication is helping with what others insist on calling delusions. Not even I ever thought that they would follow in the footsteps of Big Business everywhere and give money to an MP in an attempt to gain access to the Mother of Parliaments.

Just in case there are legal people reading, I should make it plain that David Amess has declared the payments from the Caravan Club in the Register of Members' Interests and that I'm prepared to believe Mr Amess' claim that his failure to declare an interest was an honest oversight.

I still find it very strange that the Caravan Club, of all people, should find it necessary to pay money to Mr Amess for services rendered. It might be that they've found out about my proposal to have caravans banned from the roads during the hours of daylight and for the RAF to be empowered to use any caravans it finds breaking curfew as target practice. I can see why they would find my plans a threat to their member's interests and feel the need to have their concerns raised by an MP. What I don't understand is why they need to pay an MP for his time when presumably they have a member somewhere in Southend West who could have dropped Mr Amess a line for the price of a second class stamp.

There are a number of explanations for this. The first is that the Caravan Club is daft. This is plausible. After all, they think its a good idea to drag a cheaply furnished box on wheels around the country rather than fork out a few quid for a B&B or hotel room. They may not realise that MPs work for us and have to take our concerns as consitituents seriously. I've been trying to get my MP to take my suggestions about caravans and the RAF on board for some time. Maybe I should stick a couple of used fivers in the next envelope and see if that helps.

The Caravan Club contributes to a environment in which it's normal to pay for access to Parliament. It gives the subscriptions of between 14o and 3oo members to Mr Amess in return for a few lunches on the terrace in the House of Commons and questions to ministers reflecting the interests of its members. Even I will admit that the Caravan Club is not a malign influence. Not really. Except when I'm drunk. Then they are the devil incaravanate.

There are others who will pay MPs whose interests are less benign. They want to influence government ministers and while MPs are acting in their interests, they are not necessarily acting in ours. The Caravan Club story is funny. It tickled me at the end of a week which was otherwise quite depressing but it raises a serious point: who are MPs working for? If it's for us, then why are they taking money from anyone else? If it's not for us, then why are we paying them anything at all?