Rebel with a cause
Ever since being elected the MP for Colchester in 1997 Bob Russell has always been loyal to his party.
He styled himself the "Voice of Colchester", he regularly sang the praises of his beloved and he would queue all night to table the first Commons motion of the new parliamentary term.
Now his mood is not so affable. In fact, he's becoming Russell the Rebel.
He was the first government MP to vote against the budget and has now torn into the man responsible for MPs expenses.
Mr Russell told that the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority was "the most inefficient organisation I have ever known in 40 years of public office."
The MP has not been happy with the new rules, which he says are costing him money and may mean he'll have to lose staff.
So when Sir Ian appeared before MPs, Bob gave him both barrels.
"You have created something when, quite frankly, a credit card system would have done it," complained Mr Russell.
"In two months you have destroyed the whole ethos of the public service I thought I'd been elected to undertake".
(For the record we should report that Sir Ian said his staff were hearing compliments from MPs who were satisfied with IPSA's work).
So what is happening with Mr Russell?
He is uncomfortable with being portrayed as a rebel. It was interesting to note that throughout Prime Minister's Questions he kept nodding at nearly everything Mr Cameron said.
But he is doing what he's always done - speaking out when he feels he has to.
Mr Russell has campaigned strongly on issues like child poverty for many years and has never taken his constituents or his large majority for granted.
As a Liberal Democrat on the opposition benches he would often speak his mind but he was then swimming with the Lib Dem tide.
The question is whose sands have shifted?
Mr Russell accepts the Conservative/Liberal coalition and he certainly has no plans to wreck it.
But he's said he will not compromise on those issues that are dear to him and he will speak out when he feels he has to.
The Lib Dem whips will probably allow him the freedom to say what he wants. For now.
But there are many who would like to see the coalition fail and will fall eagerly on any criticism, whatever the consequences.
Welcome to the political blog for the East. I'm Deborah McGurran, the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú's Political Editor for the region. From Lowestoft to Luton, this is the place for politics with an eastern twist.
Comments Post your comment