Above suspicion?
Sir: If all MPs were honourable gentlemen cast in the same mould as the Right Hon. J. Enoch Powell and, say, Mr Dennis Skinner,the proposal for a register of members' sources of earned income would be both superfluous and a gross impertinence. Alas, this is not the case.
However, of even greater concern than MPs' business and financial interests is the question of their overall integrity. Take the EEC issue for example. Hands up all those Tory MPs who know, in their heart of hearts, that membership of the Common Market is against the best interests of the country, yet who voted in favour of it so as not to 'rock the party boat' or, even worse, out of interests of selfadvancement within the Party?
My guess is that the honest answer
to this question would be measured in h hundreds rather than scores. It is MPs' t attitudes to major policies such as the kh EEC, rather than the occasional opla nortunity to make a 'bob or two' on I), the side, that is the real reason for the public's current disillusionment with Itt Parliament. fi James Towter 25 Moseley Wood Lane, Cookridge, it Leeds 16 Sir: If Mr Heath's plan for a register of ,h1 MPs' financial interests is duly sancOr tioned it is to be hoped that he will sli disclose the resources which permit Yr'. him to indulge in the luxury of owning te and sailing a yacht costing in the re't) gion of £50,000. He has been more sucta cessful in steering his coverted status t1-1 symbol to victory than in keeping the q Ship of State away from rocks to 8a which it is drifting closer with his 161P) every action. 22 Sandcross Lane, Reigate', sD berrrGeoyd. il rc
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