There are times, I have to admit, when one of my favourite phrases “gently undulating blobs of impotence” can fairly and aptly describe many of our politicians. I’m thinking of those types who smarm their way up the greasy pole, never rocking the boat, never challenging the party line and never doing anything to put their own careers in jeopardy. On the other hand there are those characters who take risks, who make the political weather and who show leadership, courage and have the ability to inspire. These are the history makers and over the years the British House of Commons has produced some shining examples.

Margaret Thatcher, for all that I loathed and despised about her and the damage she did to our society, was a conviction politician who shaped events around her. Winston Churchill, the great war-time leader; Aneurin Bevan, the Welsh Labour firebrand and founder of the NHS; Tony Blair, Labour’s most successful leader and the Prime Minister who took huge risks to conclude the peace process in Northern Ireland - all of these political giants have left their legacies and their footprints in the House of Commons whose walls and corridors still display their images long after they have left the stage. I agree with Rob Wilson that it is tragic to see this great institution brought into such disrepute by the actions of a minority of its members and the incompetence of the party leaders who have collectively failed to rise to challenge to restore public trust in our politics. The much reported Legg review was a pretty botched response and seemed to ignore some pretty obvious examples of industrial scale property speculation by the landed gentry whilst penalising otherwise blameless MPs for having the temerity to pay their cleaners a living wage.

I hope that the forthcoming recommendations by Sir Christopher Kelly will be along the lines of the seven point plan that I and my Reading East Labour colleague Anneliese Dodds published back in May.

• Sack all Ministers and Shadow Ministers who have been systematically enriching themselves at the taxpayer’s expense.
• Deselect all MPs who have blatantly broken the rules or who have failed to put their affairs in order.
• End “moonlighting” by MPs. No second jobs or company directorships. Parliament to lose the right to set the level of MPs’ salaries and allowances.
• Remove the ability for MPs to profit personally from second home allowances.
• Only essential London accommodation allowances to be paid.
• The publication of all claims and receipts every three months on the Parliamentary website.

I suspect that the new rules will end the abuses of the second home allowance but will do nothing about those of my colleagues who do not believe that being an MP requires a full-time commitment for a full-time salary.