On the one hand, MPs should not get away with claiming excessive expenses from us, the taxpayers, even if the claims are within the rules. Don’t forget MPs set their own rules. On the other hand, it is unfair if Sir Thomas Legg has simply moved the goalposts retrospectively and catches out those MPs whose claims had been agreed under past rules just because he personally thinks their claims are excessive.

It also seems unfair on MPs if their Parties unilaterally deselect them without first giving their voters a chance to decide whether their claims were excessive or, even if they were, whether the excessive claims were outweighed by the MPs’ good performance locally. If they were in most respects good MPs, Party deselection may also be unfair on their constituents because that would

deny voters the opportunity of re-electing them. But what is most unfair is for voters in safe seats to have disgraced MPs foisted upon them merely because their Parties want to stay loyal and keep them.

If MPs have not committed fraud and have kept within the rules, it is only fair that they should be judged, not by their Party or Sir Thomas, but by their voters.

The problem is that this is not feasible under the present voting system. Voters cannot vote against sitting MPs without also voting against their Parties and loyal Party supporters will be reluctant to do that. In safe seats, the leading Party’s candidates will nearly always win even if they have behaved badly. In marginal seats, the sitting MPs will probably lose if there is a swing against their Parties, even if they have performed and behaved well. That is not fair on either the MPs or the voters concerned!

There can be similar problems with most voting systems, but STV uniquely empowers voters to differentiate between good and bad MPs of the same Party. It would let voters sack the bad MPs without having to vote against their own Parties. It would also protect good MPs from being treated unfairly by their Parties without reference to voters.

Let us give STV a try; it will be fair to voters and those MPs who perform well.