IF THE leaked details of Sir Christopher Kelly’s report are correct then radical reform is on its way to the House of Commons. And not before time. Sir Christopher, chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, was brought in by Gordon Brown to clean up Parliament in the wake of the MPs’ expenses scandal.

His report is due to be delivered next week but leaks suggest its main recommendations will include banning MPs from claiming for mortgages on second homes, banning them from employing members of their families, making them rent if they need a second home and banning second homes for those who live within an hour’s travelling time of Westminster.

We welcome all the reported recommendations. We think most voters will feel the same.

Unsurprisingly, some MPs are already bleating about the proposals. One claimed Sir Christopher does not live in the “real world”. It is precisely because MPs have not been living in the real world for decades that this mess needs sorting out.

We have no doubt some MPs will feel badly treated by the Kelly recommendations. But they have to bite the bullet.

Not being able to employ your spouse, without a selection process, and pay them out of public funds is not a hardship. The rest of us cannot do it.

Commuting for an hour to a job you have chosen to do is not a hardship. Many thousands of people do it; some out of necessity in these tough economic times.

The reality is that MPs will still be able to employ their spouses or buy a second home. But they will not be able to use your money to pay for it.

We are pleased to hear today that MPs will not be given a vote on the Kelly recommendations, only to air their views.

Those shameful enough to speak against Kelly must not be allowed to stand for their parties at next year’s election.