MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

British MP’s expenses scandal: call for an early election

A former speaker from the British House of Commons said that Parliament should be dissolved if the expenses scandal continues to rumble on. Tory Lord Naseby said the status of Parliament had been brought “right down into the pits” and Gordon Brown could be forced to call a general election as a result.

The peer said the public had lost confidence in their elected representatives, leaving a fresh vote the only option.

He told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend: “It's dreadful. It is quite awful. The majority of members, I think, does a genuine job work hard and tries and looks after their constituents' interest”.

”It brings the whole status of Parliament right down into the pits.“

The series of revelations meant the ”very foundations of our democracy appear to be in dire trouble“ and with only a year to run before Mr Brown will be forced to go to the nation an early election could offer a fresh start.

Lord Naseby, who was deputy speaker from 1992-97, said Sir Christopher Kelly's review of the allowance system should be completed urgently. He said: ”I think the Prime Minister has to stop thinking he can just make policy on the hoof”.

“I think Sir Christopher Kelly has to undertake this review urgently, I don't see why it should have to take that long”.

”I think frankly, if this runs and runs, then Parliament should be dissolved, I think they have to start again”.