All this week, LDV has been compiling a full list of the findings of Sir Thomas Legg’s inquiries into MPs’ expenses as they related to the Lib Dems’ 63 MPs. We are adding to this list as information is received by us or published elsewhere.
We now have information on around two-thirds of the Parliamentary party, 39 MPs – but this still leaves 24 Lib Dem MPs whose Legg letters we don’t know about. The party’s whips office has recommended all the party’s MPs publish a statement on their websites in order to ensure the party’s representatives are as open and accountable as possible. However, after spot-checking half a dozen of the 24 ‘missing’ MPs I can see no references on any of their sites: this is a pretty unimpressive record.
LDV readers – or MPs or their staff – can contact us direct to help us establish a full, accurate and transparent record: please leave a comment in the thread to update us, or alternatively email us at .
As of Saturday, here’s the scores on the doors (which we’ll update as we get more info):
Clean bill of health letter received from Sir Thomas Legg:
24 Lib Dem MPs - Norman Baker, John Barrett, Tom Brake, Paul Burstow, Vince Cable, Ed Davey, Lynne Featherstone, Sandra Gidley, John Hemming, Martin Horwood, David Howarth, Simon Hughes, Mark Hunter, Susan Kramer, David Laws, Greg Mulholland, John Pugh, Dan Rogerson, Paul Rowen, Jo Swinson, Matthew Taylor, Sarah Teather, Steve Webb, Stephen Williams, Jenny Willott.
Seeking further clarification from, or supplying further information to, Sir Thomas Legg:
10 Lib Dem MPs - Colin Breed, Ming Campbell, Julia Goldsworthy, Mike Hancock, Evan Harris, Nick Harvey, Norman Lamb, Mark Oaten, Bob Russell.
Recommended to repay expenses by Sir Thomas Legg:
8 Lib Dem MPs - Danny Alexander (£125), Annette Brooke (£238.78), Don Foster (c.£4,500), Nick Clegg (£910), Tim Farron (£235), Chris Huhne £1,152), Adrian Sanders (£691), Phil Willis (£3,230).
No information at present time:
21 Lib Dem MPs – Alan Beith, Jeremy Browne, Malcolm Bruce, Lorely Burt, Alistair Carmichael, Andrew George, David Heath, Paul Holmes, Paul Keetch, Charles Kennedy, John Leech, Michael Moore, Lembit Öpik, Alan Reid, Willie Rennie, Robert Smith, Andrew Stunell, John Thurso, Mark Williams, Roger Williams, Richard Younger-Ross.
4 Comments
Bob Russell – there was a report in this week’s Essex County Standard that said he’d been asked for some further information on his mortgage interest payments by Legg, but hasn’t been asked to pay anything back. I notice that Mike Hancock (who Bob shares a flat with) is in the same position.
From the Telgraph:
‘Mr Harvey has claimed a total of £143,658 for his house in London since 2001, including interest payments on the £340,000 home which last year amounted to £1,258 a month, and £30 per month for his subscription to Sky Sports.’
WOW!
Spoke to Mark Williams at Welsh Conference he has been asked for a rental receipt from just after his election when he was staying with friends and is seeking clarification back on a suggested double claim for which no detail was supplied to him and which he cant trace in his records. He was unaware of this attempt to collate information hence the lack of direct input from him
There’s a report on Mark Oaten’s expenses in the Hampshire Chronicle.
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[...] response to the expenses row is not restricted to the leadership, by the way. There are still 21 Lib Dem MPs whose Legg letters remain (to the best of my knowledge) secret, despite the recommendation of the whip’s office that they all issue a statement on their [...]