9 Comments

• Duncan Borrowman 28th Jan '08 - 1:40pm

  That will be my local Tory MP.
  My comment here

• Terry Gilbert 28th Jan '08 - 2:29pm

  Shouldn’t this be a criminal matter? It seems to me there is a least a prima facie case for fraudulent misappropriation of public funds? The report of the Stds Ctte (there is a link from the BBC story) is admirably clear, and anyone who thinks this is just a bit of overclaiming of expenses should read it. The Ctte was ‘astonished’ that there was no evidence from outside the Conway family that young Freddie Conway ever did any work at all! He was in Newcastle for much of the time as a full time student. And he was certainly employed at much above the going rate for his age and qualifications, even if you take London (or Newcastle!) weighting in to account.
  As a Probation Officer, I came across many people with no previous convictions who had been convicted of fraudulently claiming state benefits where much smaller amounts were concerned. Usually they got Community Service or a short prison sentence for it, as well as having the money deducted from future benefits.
  But I think I’m right in saying that you have to actually be sent to prison for a significant period to be forced to step down mid-term? Ironically, the original complainant was the UKIP candidate – so if there WAS a by-election he may be dissappointed to get a more pro-European MP!

• Duncan Borrowman 28th Jan '08 - 5:09pm

  I agree Terry.

  Lib Dem calls for Police investigation into Derek Conway
  Duncan Borrowman, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Old Bexley & Sidcup, has written to the police officer investigating Labour’s donor crisis, Acting Commander Nigel Mawer of the Economic and Specialist Crimes Unit, calling for him to investigate the findings of the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee regarding Derek Conway MP.

  Mr Borrowman’s letter says:

  Dear Commander Mawer,

  I write to you concerning the verdict of the House of Commons Standards and Privileges Committee regarding the activities of my local Member of Parliament, Derek Conway MP.

  I note that the Committee has stated that Mr Conway’s son Frederick (FC) was:

  “unlikely to be able to meet his contractual commitments”

  and

  “no records appear to exist of either actual work that FC did for his father, or the work he was required to undertake…no-one outside of the Conway family was aware of the work.”

  further, they state:

  “We note that FC seems to have been all but invisible during the period of his employment,”

  and

  “This arrangement was, at the least, an improper use of Parliamentary allowances: at worst it was a serious diversion of public funds. Our view is that the reality may well be somewhere between the two.”

  From the statements given by the committee it is clear that there is primae facie evidence that criminal fraud may have taken place, and I ask that you investigate the activities of Mr Conway in this context.

  I should declare that I am Mr Conway’s Liberal Democrat opponent at the next General Election, but believe this issue is important enough, especially in the present climate, to warrant police investigation.
  Yours sincerely
  Duncan Borrowman

• Iain Rubie Dale 28th Jan '08 - 5:26pm

  Must say that I’m pretty well chuffed to have had this up on my own little blog before LDV & Duncan, indeed I think that it’s a 1st for me! 😉

• Duncan Borrowman 28th Jan '08 - 5:46pm

  I was too busy writing a report to be taking any notice of the news. I then got a Facebook message from a Bromley member, an email from a Bexley member and two google alerts on my tracking of “Derek Conway” in about 30 seconds…

• Terry Gilbert 28th Jan '08 - 6:33pm

  I have now found out that you have to be ‘detained’….’for more than a year for any offence’ to be disqualified from the House – its not clear whether a SENTENCE of more than a year, or actual detention in a prison is required. If the latter, a sentence of more than two years would be required (or bad enough behaviour in prison to lose early release on licence), which seems unlikely in this case, even should the police take up the case and a conviction is secured.
  Perhaps an amendment to Gordon Prentice’s 10 minute rule bill is called for…?

• Dennis the Menace... 28th Jan '08 - 7:08pm

  Well done Borrowman – this is what is required – giving mendacious MPs a good kicking.

  Better than wasting time on one of Laurence Boyce’s ‘how many angels do not dance on the head of a pin’ solitary shadow boxing..

• Ryan Cullen 29th Jan '08 - 11:22am

  Story number 3 on the BBC website. Well done Duncan

• Terry Gilbert 29th Jan '08 - 10:56pm

  Anyone in the Parly Party feel like amending Gordon Prentice’s 10 minute rule bill about kicking out dodgy Lords…..?