Should family members be banned altogether?

The repercussions of the Conway affair continue.

Now MPs will be expected to register their employment of family members. Obviously that is a step forward. But I am not clear that it is enough.

Between the relatives who work full tilt for an MP and (I think pretty rare) complete scams of the Conway variety is a vast middle ground. These are relatives working on constituency correspondence for varying amounts of money, amounts that may or may not be appropriate given the work they do.

But how do you decide what is appropriate? The correct amount would vary depending on the quality of the staff and the other avenues of employment open to them.

This is a difficult judgment at the best of times, but entirely impossible when a vast conflict of interest is involved.

So I see no alternative but to cease to allow MPs to employ relatives from the public purse. It may be that a transitional period is agreed but, over time, the current regime surely can't continue.

MPs will not like this and I understand why. The attitude most people have to politicians - that they are lucky to be paid anything - is absurd and often quite unpleasant.

But MPs must see that public opinion will insist on this change - it's only a matter of time. They may as well do it themselves.