A ROYAL Marine seriously wounded in Iraq collared Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg in Oxford today to applaud him for pledging action to clean up Parliament.

Following the national furore over MPs’ expenses, the Lib Dem leader today launched a timetable for change in which he called for MPs to surrender their summer holidays in order to reform “every nook and cranny” of Britain’s political system.

The stance prompted former marine David Johnstone to congratulate Mr Clegg when he spotted him being given a tour around eco-friendly homes in East Street, Osney.

Mr Johnstone, of Salter Close, Grandpont, told Mr Clegg: “This is the first time I’m going to be voting for you.”

The 46-year-old suffered severe shrapnel wounds to his right leg when a roadside bomb exploded as his unit patrolled close to Basra Airport in August 2003.

He told the Oxford Mail: “What’s impressed me is he’s been on TV and he said he’s asking that every MP across the political divide should not be allowed to go on summer holidays until this expenses row has been sorted out.

“As someone who served his country and has been blown to bits, I find it very hard to take that these people are getting money for their moat or a duck pond and some minion somewhere in an office signs it off for them.”

Mr Johnstone was just 10 days into his tour of duty with 42 Royal Commando unit when the incident happened. He spent eight months in hospital.

His injuries mean he is unable to work full-time as a chef and he currently makes end meet on £68 a week Jobseekers’ allowance.

He said: “They shouldn’t be able to go and take a holiday in the hope that the expenses scandal will go away. It needs to be kept in the forefront of people’s minds.

“They shouldn’t be having a holiday this year, they should be reforming the country and the whole expense system should be scrapped.

“Give them a pay rise of £20,000 a year and get them to pay for everything else themselves.”

However, his friend Troy Whitehouse, 42, from Ferry Hinksey Road said: “He (Mr Clegg) seemed to present himself very well but to tell the truth I think he’s jumping on the bandwagon a bit on the expenses now.”

Mr Clegg, a former Chinnor resident, said he had spoken to Oxford West and Abingdon MP Evan Harris about his claims for £79,618 in second home expenses over the past four years.

However, he said he was confident Dr Harris would honour his party’s pledge to pay back any profit made on his second home.

Mr Clegg, who has launched a 100-day action plan to fix Britain’s democracy, has called for the abolition of the House of Lords, a proportional representation system of voting and fixed terms for Parliaments.

He also called for MPs to only be allowed to rent second homes in London.

He said: “I said it several weeks ago to David Cameron – the only solution to this whole mess is to get MPs out of the property game altogether, not transforming them into spiv property speculators.”

cwalker@oxfordmail.co.uk