Issues on the doorstep

Well, been out canvassing earlier today. Quite a lot of positive responses and a few diehard Labourites, but also a number of people who are thoroughly disenchanted with politicians of all colours - many of them former Labour supporters. If I were a sitting Labour MP in any seat, I'd be seriously worried about the fallout from the expenses scandal. What's unfortunate is that the behaviour of those MPs who were claiming everything they could has tainted everyone in the political system.

One is sometimes met with the retort that "they're all the same." As it happens, I don't think this is true of everyone in the main political parties, let alone the Greens. There are MPs in other parties - Vince Cable (himself a former parliamentary candidate for York) to name but one, who chose not to claim substantial amounts of money they could have claimed under the rotten expenses system for mortgages and other items. I'm not saying they were a majority - it's truly sad just what a large proportion of MPs were sucked into the trough - but the fact remains that a high-minded minority did not.

The only way this mess is going to be sorted out is by people voting for candidates who have committed themselves to change.

I've already stated clearly on the York Green Party website and in my leaflets where I stand on this matter. If elected, I won't claim for any mortgage payments, maintenance on properties, furniture or expenses for normal everyday items like food that I would have to buy anyway. I will use only the cheapest rail fares (that means standard class travel on every trip) and use the cheapest accommodation if staying away from home. Additionally, I'll list every expense I claim on the internet and have anything I do claim independently audited every year.

This isn't purely an empty promise as I already work for a national charity - and I occasionally have to travel away from home. Because of this, I'm already expected to keep expenses to a minimum when at work.

We need to return to the principle that every expense should be wholly, necessarily and unavoidably associated with the job. I was one of the many people who wrote to their MPs in 2009 before the expenses scandal broke to persuade them not to pass legislation to stop freedom of information access to expenses - and I will continue to campaign for changes to the system. But I will also be keeping my own house in order whether "the system" changes or not. I'm also proud that the two Green MEPs in Brussels have an excellent record of probity over their claims, having published their expenses online for years.

So I would urge anyone who is concerned about this to scrutinize what all the candidates have said - and done - on the matter to date: then use your vote to make a difference.