The Astonishing Mr Wilshire

“Branding a whole group of people as undesirables led to Hitler’s gas chambers.” This is what David Wilshire wrote back to a constituent in response to emails that residents sent him venting their anger at his behavoir over expenses. This follows his claim that backbench MP's are working 'close to the minimum wage'. The first statement is deeply offensive, and I know first hand from a meeting with residents last night that they are offended. The second is utter nonsense. It is clear that 2o odd years in Parliament have left him so disconnected from his residents that these statements apparently seem prefectly reasonable to him. The anger in Spelthorne at what has happened is palpable, but this man does not get it. His colleagues say it is a media witch hunt. With comments like those above, they don't have to do much hunting. David Wilshire will also be entitled to a payoff when he quits at the election, which one paper claims will be over £50,000. Quite simply he does not deserve it. His judgement is fatally flawed, he STILL won't face constituents to explain himself, and just this week, letters have been arriving from his office making no mention of what has happened as if it never did. David Wilshire should go - NOW.

David Wilshire Resigns

As this story broke on Wednesday evening, the phone and email went into overdrive. The allegations made against Mr Wilshire by the Telegraph were out of the blue and quite extraordinary. As it became clear on Thursday that this really was serious for him, the press requests started. It is difficult when these things are allegations, but with them being potentially damaging, it seemed inevitable that he had to resign, as I told Radio Surrey on Friday morning. He is duly standing down at the next election, although some might ask why he should hang on for his golden handshake at the end of his term. Dr Ian Gibson didn't do so in Norwich North, and went straight away. What surprises me so much, however, are comments attributed to Mr Wilshire about being on a salary that was "dangerously close to the minimum wage" (as quoted in several newspapers over the weekend). Mr Wilshire had already shown a lack of contrition when other expenses claims were questioned earlier in the year. It is clear that he and his colleagues locally still maintain the Tory arrogance that they have a divine right to be elected. That is quite simply outrageous. The electors of Spelthorne are entitled to ask what their elected representatives do for them. The last of Mr Wilshire's infrequent contributions to Parliament before his announcement he was standing down at the next election was to sponsor a Bill that would have removed the minimum wage. How ironic.