MP needs to get back to real world

WITH reference to the article in last week's Observer about our MP, Andrew Mitchell, resigning from his directorships at Lazards.

Does he think the people of Sutton Coldfield are completely stupid and gullible? Does he expect us to believe that after 30 years as a director of Lazards he was just about to resign anyway and it has nothing to do with the impending requirement to reveal all about outside jobs.

I'm sorry, Mr Mitchell, I simply don't believe you.

He says that he thinks it's vital that members have extra interests (by this I assume he means salaried jobs).

Not just acceptable or even advantageous, but VITAL.

He may think it's vital, but I wouldn't mind betting very few of his constituents do.

He goes on to say that there is a strong view that MPs should have a foot in the outside world. Again, by 'having a foot in the outside world', I assume he means having other salaried jobs.

I would be interested to know what piece of research he has used to arrive at this conclusion.

Surely, as a paid-up member of the human race, it should be easy enough to be in the real world without taking on paid directorships.

I note that the non-parliamentary jobs he has retained will use up little of his time. I assume this means by implication that the jobs at Lazards took up lots of his time.

It seems pretty obvious that the people of Sutton Coldfield would have benefited more from him spending more time on their business and less on his outside jobs. In my opinion, he should have no outside jobs whatsoever.

If Mr Mitchell genuinely believes what he said in last week's article then I think he is so far away from the 'outside world' that he should resign as an MP.

And by the way, in case, you're thinking it, I'm not a member of New Labour jumping on the bandwagon.

I've voted for you in the past, but I'm not sure about how I'll be voting at the next election.

Elizabeth Newman, Sutton Coldfield.