The Grand Finalé

Evening,

There is real anticipation within political circles, that we are about to see the final load of MPs expenses released in the Telegraph, with Westminster Couples in the firing line…Cooper/Balls and from the infamous Wintertons come to mind…I have the Telegraph website up and am awaiting to see what is there, imminently…

Sky are reporting that the Daily Telegraph will be:

“reporting on some of the most serious abuses of expense code – disclosures will relate to Nine Conservative and Labour MPs…”

I am intrigued to see what the Telegraph mean by that as well as what they have got on those mentioned above – obviously Cooper and Balls have already been exonerated in front of a Parliamentary Standards committee, just last year – whereas the Wintertons have always been seen as having a dubious past.  I have to recall Mrs Winterton’s remarks following the Cockles Pickers Disaster on Morecambe Bay…

The Telegraph continues…

“In one case, an MP representing a northern constituency “repaid” part of a substantial over-claim on his mortgage by submitting receipts for household items he had previously purchased”

Whoever that MP is, is probably in their last year as a MP…

These new allegations come thick on the news that Phil Hope, a junior Health Minister, announced that he would repay £41,709 for furniture and fittings claimed on his second home and Sir Menzies Campbell, the former Liberal Democrat leader, promised to return nearly £1,500 he had paid to an interior designer to work on his flat.  

So far, more than £100,000 has been returned by 20 MPs from four parties as a direct result of the investigation.  That’s like putting crumbs back into the biscuit barrel, after stealing the cookies…

Some people need to do some jail time for their misdeeds…

Further updates as it breaks…

Rob :)