Blogs - Sunlight Centre for Open Politics

Lord Sheldon reported to House of Lords Authorities

The Sunlight Centre for Open Politics has reported Lord Sheldon to the House of Lords authorities over reports that appeared in the Sunday Times at the weekend. Lord Sheldon a former treasury minister and chairman of the Commons Public Accounts Committee is accused of claiming £130,000 of the ‘overnight’ subsistence allowance for a home he previously owned in Manchester. However he passed this home to his son in 2003. Therefore according to land registry documents he no longer owns the property… Continue

Added by Centre for Open Politics on August 10, 2009 at 4:23pm — No Comments

Lord Taylor of Warwick reported to House of Lords Authorities

The Sunlight Centre for Open Politics has reported Lord Taylor of Warwick to the House of Lords Authorities this morning after allegations in the Times newspaper at the weekend. Lord Taylor is suspected of claiming £70,000 on a 'phantom' home in the Midlands between 2001 and 2007.

… Continue

Added by Centre for Open Politics on August 6, 2009 at 11:00am — 1 Comment

MOD Press Officer sues for telling 'lies'

An MOD press officer John Salisbury-Baker is suing the MOD for disability discrimination as he claims that as an MOD press officer he had to lie regarding certain equipment to the media. He also had to support families who had lost their loved ones and then attend their funerals. It would be humiliating for him to go to a funeral knowing that the particular soldier had been sent to fight with substandard equipment yet many of the families would trust the MOD to provide the correct equipment for… Continue

Added by Centre for Open Politics on August 5, 2009 at 1:03pm — No Comments

Iraq Enquiry Update

Good news today! Sir John Chilcot has just announced in a press conference that he intends to make as many of the inquiry hearings as open as possible. This will be through the medium of television, the internet and the public attending. He also confirmed that Tony Blair would be called. However he did not give an inquiry for the completion of the inquiry certainly not before the next general election. Instead an interim report may be released. Although the Sunlight Centre welcomes the open i… Continue

Added by Centre for Open Politics on July 30, 2009 at 12:59pm — No Comments

Lord Bhatia allegations surrounding £20K second home allowance

Just when we thought the ’silly season’ was about to start in earnest the Times revealed over the weekend that Lord Bhatia 77 who was made a peer by Tony Blair in 2001 but sits on the neutral crossbenches could face a possible police probe following allegations surrounding his claims for his two bedroom apartment occupied by his brother. Lord Bhatia nominated this apartment, as his ‘main home’ in October 2007 allowing him to claim £12,247 in six months. However he has continued to live in a £1.5… Continue

Added by Centre for Open Politics on July 27, 2009 at 3:30pm — 1 Comment

Sunlight COPs sustains fundraising momentum

Chris Galley research director of the Sunlight Centre provides The Red Rag with an update on the "Bringing Jacqui to Justice" campaign for a private prosecution of Jacqui Smith MP: We are passionate about maintaining the fundraising momentum and have worked with Ollie at The Red Rag to develop a suite of sponsorship packages. If Barack Obama can raise $200 Million then surely the Sunlight Centre for Open Politics can manage £100,000 as the first target in ‘‘Bringing Jacqui to Justice’’. We are… Continue

Added by Centre for Open Politics on July 20, 2009 at 2:21pm — 1 Comment

Sunlight COPS launches private prosecution

The Sunlight COPS have decided to launch a private prosecution against the former Home Secretary the Rt Hon. Jacqui Smith MP. This is regarding her claim for ACA of £116,000. We are currently in the process of gathering evidence.

The story can be found can be found in todays Daily… Continue

Added by Centre for Open Politics on July 15, 2009 at 10:30am — 1 Comment

Menzies Campbell to chair Damian Green probe

Sir Menzies Campbell is to chair an inquiry into the police raid on the Commons office of Tory MP Damian Green. The former Lib Dem leader will review how the Commons authorities deal with search requests from the police. The cross-party panel also includes former home secretaries David Blunkett and Michael Howard and ex-foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind. Commons leader Harriet Harman, who has set up the pane, will ask MPs to approve its terms of reference. She has asked it to report by t… Continue

Added by Centre for Open Politics on July 10, 2009 at 4:45pm — No Comments

Brian Cowan betrays the people of Ireland.

NO TO LISBON MEANS NO TO LISBON! http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=38059363467&ref=mf We will vote NO in greater numbers than before. The Irish stood up to the British Empire. Are we so diminished as a people to surrender to Brussels? After boom the 'celtic tiger' has brought bankruptcy, bust & record unemployment. Better not to have joined in the first place. The greed induced illusion of wealth turned out to be very fleeting. If the treaty is ratified you will not get another vot… Continue

Added by Jonathan Dickson on July 9, 2009 at 2:58pm — No Comments

DCSF civil servant sacked for 'commenting' on Blears

MPs' expenses: Civil servant sacked for calling Hazel Blears a 'disgrace' in anonymous internet post A civil servant has been sacked after she criticised Hazel Blears, the former Cabinet minister, over her behaviour in the MPs' expenses scandal. Lisa Greenwood, an office administrator a… Continue

Added by Centre for Open Politics on July 6, 2009 at 10:30am — No Comments

George Osbourne reported to the parliamentary authorities over expenses

The complaint to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner came from the chairman of the Labour Party in Mr Osborne's Tatton constituency, Laurie Burton. The complaint is about Mr Osbourne's Additional Costs Allowance between 2001 and 2003. It states that he wrongly identified his main home for claims for the allowance and that from 2003 Mr Osbourne claimed mortgage payments that were not necessarily incurred contrary to the rules of the House. Continue

Added by Centre for Open Politics on July 2, 2009 at 4:04pm — No Comments

Lord Rennard

Lord Rennard reported to the House of Lords Authorities over his £41,000 expenses claim for his holiday home. Continue

Added by Centre for Open Politics on June 29, 2009 at 9:34am — No Comments

Support investigative journalism

A handful of experienced investigative hacks, from those who exposed MP's expenses to those who exposed corruption in sport, have launched a new fund to help support independent funded high-quality investigative journalism. They include the likes of Nick Davies, writer of the book Flat Earth News, the star of the expenses revelations, Freedom of Information Campaigner Heather Brooke, (link to her FOI blog in PLENTY's top menu bar) and Martin Bright, who has worked as politica… Continue

Added by Chris Gaynor on June 24, 2009 at 9:03pm — No Comments

Jim Devine MP reported to Scotland Yard by the Sunlight COPs

Jim Devine MP has been reported to Scotland Yard (to the same team that is investigating other MPs expenses) by the Sunlight COPs on Saturday 20th June 2009. He was alleged to have submitted a claim for £2,157 for rewiring his London flat based on a receipt bearing an invalid VAT number and incorrect details of a firm. He also faced questions over a £2,326 claim for shelving work said to have been carried out by the landlord of his local pub. The MP has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. You… Continue

Added by Centre for Open Politics on June 22, 2009 at 9:00am — No Comments

Update from Brian Binley: I won't repay expenses if Cameron asks me to

Mr Binley said that he had not spoken to David Cameron about his claim for the rental of a flat from his own company, did not expect to, and if asked to repay the money he claimed he would refuse to do so. Asked whether he would repay the money claimed if asked to by David Cameron… Continue

Added by Centre for Open Politics on June 17, 2009 at 4:00pm — 1 Comment

Brian Binley MP allegedly claiming £57,000 in expenses

The Sunlight Centre has today written to Brian Binley, the MP for Northampton South, asking him to clarify some of the allegations raised in the Daily Telegraph expenses coverage. In a letter to Mr Binley, Chris Galley, the Sunlight COPs new Research Director asked for a full and frank explanation in the circumstances surrounding Mr Binley renting a Pimlico flat, within walking distance from Westminster, from BCC Marketing – a company Mr Binley owns. Continue

Added by Centre for Open Politics on June 17, 2009 at 2:30pm — No Comments

The Sunlight COPs submission has been added to Standards in Public Life Committee Website

The Sunlight COPs submission on MPs expenses has been uploaded onto the Standards in Public Life Committee website. Only the best submissions have been uploaded onto the website after Sir Christopher Kelly invited evidence from all interested parties. The Sunlight Centre for Open Politics makes income comparisons both internationally and against average UK earnings and consequently argues for no increase in MPs’ expense allowances or pay. Continue

Added by Centre for Open Politics on June 16, 2009 at 10:00am — No Comments

Shahid Malik embroiled in new expenses scandal

Shahid Malik is involved in a new expenses scandal after only 48 hours of being re-appointed to his government position. The Daily Telegraph has reported that Mr Malik claimed £200 a month on his office allowances for an item listed only as "office 2". Mr Malik has confirmed that t… Continue

Added by Centre for Open Politics on June 11, 2009 at 12:00pm — 2 Comments

Submission to Sir Christopher Kelly at the Standards of Public Life Committee on MPs Expenses

This submission Standards.htm was sent by the founder of the Sunlight Centre on 5th June to Sir Christopher Kelly on the issue of MPs expenses. Continue

Added by Centre for Open Politics on June 8, 2009 at 3:30pm — No Comments

Danny Finklestein comments on the Charity Commission report

Danny Finklestein over at Comment Central has a piece about the failings of the Smith Institute and particuarly the role of Bob Shrum Continue

Added by Harry Cole on July 18, 2008 at 12:33pm — No Comments

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