A Conservative MP has filed a motion urging Parliament to condemn “England’s pathetic exit from the World Cup finals” and to hold an inquiry into overpaid, underperforming Premier League players. My immediate reaction is “And how is this a good use of public money?”  With the coalition government arguing that public spending across the public sector must be cut dramatically, how can an MP have the audacity to suggest a costly public inquiry into something that is not utterly relevant to most daily lives?

Start an inquiry into why house prices are so expensive. Start an inquiry into why social cohesion is so poor. Start an inquiry into improving the benefit system to avoid fraud. Start an inquiry into why the education system is producing illiterates with no discernible skills. There are so many more relevant, timelier, valuable topics worthy of investigation.  

While I realise that his motion and comments are largely ceremonial and nothing will come of it, it is no less infuriating that this MP feels that rather than focusing helping his constituents he would prefer to rant about the England football team. And while I do agree with him completely that football players are overpaid and underperform, I would advise him that, after the expenses scandal of last summer, he ought to look in the mirror and around the room at fellow MPs if he wants to see overpaid underperformers. The pot is calling the kettle black here, Mr Amess, and you need to stop wasting Parliament’s time – and potentially taxpayer money – with pointless early day motions. I do think some MPs live in a world all their own.

Source:

Guardian