I'd happily pay Michael Gove ten times his salary if he fixed Britain's schools

By way of an answer to Daniel Finkelstein's post, Do You Love Your MP?

One of the reasons I rushed to defend Michael Gove last night was that I desperately want him to be Schools Secretary*. His supply-side revolution could transform the lives of millions of young Britons in the years ahead. That's an enormous prize.

I'd do the same for Iain Duncan Smith (if he came under fire again) and his mission to tackle the true causes of poverty.

I'd man the barricades for Owen Paterson too and his crusade to see Northern Ireland become fully integrated into UK politics.

I'm not saying that milking the allowances system doesn't matter - I'm really not - but one of the reasons why the public are so angry about The Telegraph's revelations is that they think politics is fundamentally broken - "that they are all the same" and that they're paying for a political class that is incapable of either honesty or delivery.

Yes, we should clean up the allowances system but you'll never convince most people that MPs are underpaid and overwhelming decent.  If the country starts moving again, if our schools start getting better, our taxes start coming down and our borders are properly defended you'll find politicians a little more loved.

A bold manifesto is the Tories' best answer to the current crisis.

Tim Montgomerie

* I also, as catalogued by Fraser Nelson, think he's innocent.