DURKAN: REPORT SHOULD HAVE GONE EVEN FURTHER.Byline: VICTORIA McMAHON A REPORT that says MPs double-jobbing and employing family will have to go hasn't gone far enough, the SDLP SDLP (in Northern Ireland) Social Democratic and Labour Party SDLP (Brit) n abbr (Pol) (= Social Democratic and Labour Party) → sozialdemokratische Partei in Nordirland leader Mark Durkan Mark Henry Durkan (born 26 June 1960, Derry, Northern Ireland) is a nationalist politician in Northern Ireland and the leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). said yesterday. The party chief and Foyle MP, who is quitting the Assembly in May, said Sir Christopher Kelly's review of MPs' expenses was not comprehensive enough. Sir Christopher recommended a 2011 deadline for ending double-jobbing but said if that was not met then it should end by 2015. However, Mr Durkan criticised the flexible time frame for allowing "too much wriggle room". The new rules mean 16 of Northern Ireland's 18 MPs will have to quit one of their jobs by the next Assembly elections in May 2011. It also recommended that the employment of relatives by MPs should end - something that would effect a number of DUP DUP (in Northern Ireland) Democratic Unionist Party MPs including Peter and Iris Robinson Iris Robinson (born September 6, 1949 in Belfast as Iris Collins) is a Northern Ireland Unionist politician. She is the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Member of the British parliament (MP) for Strangford, and was first elected in the 2001 general election, replacing and Jeffrey Donaldson Jeffrey Mark Donaldson (born 7 December 1962) is a Northern Irish politician and Member of Parliament for Lagan Valley. He is best known for his opposition to Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader David Trimble during the Northern Ireland peace process, especially from 1998 to 2003. . This change would not have to take place until the end of the next Parliament. The Foyle MP said he broadly welcomed the review, but added: "There are concerns that some of the recommendations are not as comprehensive as they should be. "Timescales could be more intensive and five years could be too long as a period of 'last orders'. "This could lead to a very serious probability of a parliament of double standards in the next term. One of the areas that most scandalised the public was the milking of the allowance system to improve and furnish fur·nish tr.v. fur·nished, fur·nish·ing, fur·nish·es 1. To equip with what is needed, especially to provide furniture for. 2. properties and the practice of flipping designation to avoid capital gains tax. "This appears to have gone untouched and people will be asking why." |
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