Taking Control of our AMs' Expenses

So it seems our politicians can't be trusted to run their own affairs.

Roger Jones has reported back that we should no longer pay for as many AMs' second homes, none of them will get a food allowance or be allowed to employ their family members.

Have Assembly Members just brought this upon themselves do we think? If this review's conclusions are enforced, will it make the task of being an AM that much harder? And how closely will AMs' colleagues at Westminister be watching to see if this new plan works?

The BBC reports that party groups will meet this evening to consider their responses – that will no doubt make tomorrow morning's lobby briefings all the more interesting!

In the meantime here's what we've heard.

From Plaid's Dai Lloyd:

"We look forward to having clear guidelines that will be set out by the Assembly Commission once it has come to its final decision following these recommendations. The Plaid Cymru group in the National Assembly is fully committed to abiding by that decision."

From the Conservatives' Paul Davies:

"We have always supported greater openness in how politicians spend public money in relation to their work and will study the report’s findings closely."

And from the Lib Dems' Kirsty Williams:

"We as a group welcome the report and we will accept its recommendations. This is a fair and transparent system of financial support for Assembly Members. The Independent Review Panel has produced a series of recommendations which will hopefully go some way to restoring public confidence in its elected representatives."

Dewi Tri