The Sunday papers do not make happy reading for several Conservatives MPs. Bob Spink and the Wintertons all come under scrutiny and there's an interview with Derek Conway in the Mail on Sunday. For Labour, Wendy Alexander has been reported to the Police and now the Telegraph reveals that Tory MP Greg Hands has made an official complaint about Gordon Brown not declaring rental income from an office in his constituency.
In addition, the Sunday Times may well regret an attempt 'do over' Tory MP Julian Brazier. He's just issued THIS statement demanding a full retraction and apology.
All makes you proud to be in politics or the media, doesn't it?
UPDATE: Guido has a comprehensive round-up HERE.
19 comments:
Iain,
Both the Bob Spink and Greg Hands links point to the same Telegraph article.
I think that Greg has been looking at issues relating to MPs getting rental income from their constituency offices for some time. It may well be that the media is paying greater attention to his investigations now, but it might be unfair to say this instance is simply partisan tit for tat.
This Conway business has set the Tory party back twelve months. In one bound they have gone from the 'Not so nasty after all' party to the 'F*** off, I'm rich' party.
If MPs are to be paid expenses they should account for every last penny, with receipts and vouchers, and an absolute prohibition on the employment of any member of their family.
The treatment of Julian Brazier by the Sunday Times is an absolute disgrace, and I hope it gets well and truly pasted. I might expect this from the News of the Screws, but not from what used to be (under Harold Evans) one of the great broadsheets.
Wendy Alexander has NOT been reported to the police--she has been reported to the Procurator Fiscal who will decide if there is a case to answer in the Courts.
She knew last Friday that this was happening, which is no doubt why she and her acolytes have been bombarding the media with her claim that she got dodgy advice from parliamentary staff on whether she should declare the donations.
Is that a get-out-of-jail card?
Failing to declare freely given cash isn't quite the same level of crime as freely doling out public cash to prop up one's nasty offsprings' horrid lifestyles imho
Perhaps before Greg Hands gets too clever he ought to have a look at what is happeningin his own backyard. His Constituency Association declared donations to the Electoral Commission for a property received free of charge from the Fulham Investment Property Company Ltd for the years 2002 and 2003. However it has not declared donations for any of the subsequent years, even though the filed accounts of the Constituency Association show donations received of £5,804, £6,500 and £6,500 for 2004, 2005,2006 respectively. All facts can be checked on the Commission website if anyone wishes.
Talk about people in glass houses throwing stones (and lazy Telegraph journalists). Perhaps it is time for the grown ups to get involved in party funding and leave the likes of Greg Hands (and others in the other parties) to play with their lego.
The Mail on Sunday has again had a go at the Tories, spending four pages on their mis-use of allowances. They ignore the fact that far more Labour MPs employ relatives.
The message is clear:
If you're a Tory, boycott this Labour-supporting rag.
This is no time for Mr Brazier to be precious about the salary he pays to his wife.
To conclusively sink the ST story he should make full disclosure.
The Winterton arrangements fall within the regulations but are nevertheless disgraceful.
DC has rightly twigged that MPs must not just obey the rules; there must be complete transparency so that the public can see this for themselves.
Keep it simple and put up or shut up.
I have it on the authority of another MP that whilst Brazier refused to say exactly how much his wife earns since he believes it should be confidential, he was willing to show the ST exact proof of the extent of her work etc., and said as much to them.
And whilst the Wintertons rather shamefully, but NOT illicitly, took advantage of a loophole, what about the way the Balls couple are raking in the expenses.
Sauce for the goose and all that.
Anonymous 6.18 pm said...
"They ignore the fact that far more Labour MPs employ relatives."
The absolute number of Labour MPs employing relatives is higher but proportionately the Tories employ more.
If two big heads roll this year - Wendy Alexander and Ken Livingstone - I will bet that Gordon does not make it to the next election, and at the moment, an hour is a very long time in politics.
I am utterly amazed by your support for Julian Brazier MP. I have read his "denial" and frankly it is appalling. He admits to paying her but refuses to say how much. IS the man a fool? the public have a right to know just how far his snout is buried in the trough. HE must be made to make a full public disclosure! I trust Cameron will make him see sense or suspend him too.
I have just read the Conway interview in the Mail. Thanks for the link Iain.
Somehow or other I managed to keep my breakfast down. The man has no self-awareness at all. The funniest bit was when he claims that he took a 50% pay cut from his £80k/year at the Cats Protection League.
Conway lost his Shrewsbury seat in the 1997 Labour landslide and was the £80,000-a-year chief executive of the Cats Protection League charity until he succeeded Edward Heath as MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup in 2001.
"Had I remained with them, my salary would have been twice what it is," he said.
Conway.. it's not about salary, it's about expenses fraud.
It sounds to me that that is another scandal that should be looked at... the egregiously high salaries paid by national charities to their chief executives, who are too often former MPs on the make.
Rush-is-Right said...
"It sounds to me that that is another scandal that should be looked at... the egregiously high salaries paid by national charities to their chief executives, who are too often former MPs on the make."
Good point. When that is done they can also look at the entire range of salaries, expenses and perks paid to all the 'staff' of these charities.
I once (foolishly) lived with one of these people who turned out to be a drunk and a real nutter. She received a vast income largely for flying around the country urging other people to do more unpaid work. When she wasn't doing that she was free to join the regular Friday afternoons piss-up entirely funded by the charity (i.e. mainly the taxpayer). And they had a surprisingly high number of office outings of an evening.
Iain, we need to see the Wintertons resign their seats even before the whip is withdrawn. Employing a relative on stamp licking duties is one thing, but intentionally setting up a vehicle to milk the system for personal gain is "fight talk".
Roger Thornhill. I was about to suggest you look at the bigger picture.. as in they are all bent as nine-bob notes, but a peek at your blog, Neue Arbeit Macht Frei, shows me that you have!
The words worms, can and of, come to mind.
MPs are nearly all at it. The only solution is to have an amnesty and then toughen up the rules on expenses and employees. At this rate, if they all did the honourable thing and resigned we would not have a Parliament.
MSM
I note with dismay that Bendy Wendy clings on at the moment, with the help of a pro-Labour Scottish press.
Still happy to support Derek Conway ?
Final Answer ?
Sure you don't want to 'phone a friend' ??
its like a bad game of pub league football in which every keeps scoring own goals and then goes home covered in s**t.
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