Thursday 15 October 2009

Will it ever end?




David Wilshire it seems has paid £105,000 over three years to pay a company he set up to run his office, but has insisted it was approved by the authorities.

The firm, Moorlands Research Services, is owned solely by him and his partner.

Mr Wilshire, the Conservative member for Spelthorne, says he has asked the Standards Commissioner to investigate.

Parliamentary rules say MPs must ensure that claims do not give rise to an improper personal financial benefit to themselves - or give the appearance that they are benefitting improperly.

Mr Wilshire, who said he was "deeply hurt" by the claims, told the BBC that he had referred himself to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner as the only way to answer the questions about his expenses.

"My constituents are rightly entitled to the truth about these allegations. I have therefore written to the commissioner for standards asking him to conduct an enquiry.

"Until I have had an opportunity to take his advice, I think it best if I say nothing further."

Although he could not confirm the amounts of money involved, Mr Wilshire stressed that neither he nor his partner Ann Palmer had ever received any payment from Moorlands Research Services.

Mr Wilshire also confirmed that his designated main home is in Somerset, more than 100 miles from his constituency on the south-west outskirts of London.

Widdecombe is on her box complaining about the expenses review, Jacqui Smith is grovelling, Mandelson is sort of for the review, and Gord is urging MPs to pay up, probably because it has just cost him £12,415.

Do they actually do any work in parliament, or is the 16 weeks and 2 days a year that Parliament sits taken up with the expenses debacle?

Angus

Angus Dei on all and sundry

AnglishLit

Angus Dei-NHS-THE OTHER SIDE

No comments: