Top hypocrites in outgoing Parliament identified in report

18 MPs have been named and shamed in a report released by Power2010 today highlighting double standards in the way MPs' have voted and acted, in particular on issues of privacy and the sharing of personal information.

Out of nearly 650 MPs these 18 have been identified as Parliament's worst examples of politicians who practice ‘one rule for them and another for everyone else'. All of them are Labour MPs.

They were all among the group of MPs who voted to exempt Parliament from the Freedom of Information Act to keep their expenses claims secret.

However, they also consistently failed to show the same concern for their constituents' privacy by: Voting in favour of introducing ID cards, which collect and store 50 pieces of personal data on a vast and insecure central database

Backing the ContactPoint database that now documents all of our children; though enabling MPs to get their children "shielded" for the sake of their privacy

Supporting the retention of innocent people's DNA profile on the national DNA database

Power2010 director Pam Giddy, said:

"In recent years the public have been asked to submit to systems of data sharing and surveillance to which many MPs are not prepared to submit themselves.

The expenses crisis showed that the public strongly objects to this ‘one rule for us, one rule for them' approach. Nothing could be more damaging to public trust in politics.

"That is why Power2010 is drawing attention to the double standards practiced by many MPs when it comes to privacy, transparency and the sharing of personal information and naming and shaming some of the worst offenders.

"Next month, voters have the chance to change Parliament for the better. They should seize it."

The report highlights many examples of hypocrisy that have received less attention, including:

Double standards when it comes to HMRC online filing and security - MPs are unable to file their tax returns online because they receive a higher level of security.

Support for a pay-as-you-throw bin tax, which could cost ordinary families up to £1,000 per year, but which MPs could claim as expenses.

Support for ContactPoint, a vast database storing information on every child under the age of 18 in England. The database raises serious privacy and security concerns, but these won't trouble MPs' who could "shield" their children's information.

The report identifies 18 MPs - all of them from the Labour Party and all of whom are standing for re-election - who exemplify the worst aspect of the last Parliament - that there is one rule for politicians and one rule for everybody else. They include Tony McNulty and Caroline Flint.

You can read the report in full here (pdf)

Power2010 is releasing the report in order to encourage a fairer and more responsible approach to the public's personal information in the next Parliament along with openness and transparency from MPs themselves.