Reasons for contempt

They shouldn't be surprised for two reasons - one, the regular revelations that several MPs appear to moonlight as property speculators and expenses jugglers and, two, the refusal by all but a principled minority of MPs to speak out in solidarity with working people.

Not too many public-service workers who have had a below-inflation 1.9 per cent pay settlement forced on them will be impressed to know that MPs can carpet their London homes, at our expense, for up to £35 per square metre.

State pensioners, who see their pensions eroded every year, may not see £10,000 kitchen refurbishment of MPs' second homes as justifiable public spending.

And there can't be much danger of Remploy disabled workers walking out of their threatened factories in support of MPs, chanting: "What do we want? Free dishwashers, recordable DVDs and tumble dryers for MPs. When do we want it? Now!"

MPs will point out that they need certain minimum standards of accommodation to enable them to carry out their responsibilities.

And so they do, as does the rest of the population. However, the majority of Westminster's current inmates, especially those elected as Labour Party representatives, appear to have forgotten where they came from and who put them in Parliament.

There is nothing attractive about MPs safeguarding their own gold-plated pension scheme while conniving in the winding up of final-salary company plans and the devaluation of state pensions. Nor do working people send their representatives to Parliament so that they can own two homes instead of one.

If MPs feel hard done by, they should reassess their votes for war, privatisation and attacks on working people, pensioners and those on benefits and realise that people's respect is earned not given by right.

Peace unity

TENS of thousands of people will march on Saturday in Glasgow and London to demand an end to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, no assault on Iran and recognition of Palestinians' rights.

They will mark, in common with demonstrations across the globe, the fifth anniversary of the criminal US-British invasion of Iraq.

Some people may be disillusioned about the inability of the anti-war movement to have stopped the invasions in the first place or to have brought about the withdrawal of our troops since then.

This is to take a short-sighted attitude to the huge success in building a mass movement in opposition to the actions of a government with a huge majority, backed by the opposition in Parliament and the bulk of the mass media, including the BBC.

That success is not just about getting millions of people into the streets.

It is also about bringing together socialists, liberals, trade unionists and religious forces, including, for the first time, the impressive involvement of Britain's Muslim communities.

These weighty mobilisations have had an effect on combating Islamophobia, racism and separatism in Britain. Their example has been globally positive.

Don't listen to the Jeremiahs. Keep the pressure on the warmongers by uniting for peace and justice.