Questions grow over Labour MP Diane Johnson’s expenses

By Mark Pack | Thu 18th March 2010 - 2:20 pm

A few days ago Dizzy Thinks spotted an oddity in the expense claims of Hull North Labour MP Diana Johnson:

At the end of the detailed, albeit censored claims, provided on the Parliamentary website, is an invoice to the tune of £1,654 for “delivery of a leaflet in Hull North Constituency during September and October 2007″.

Looks legit doesn’t it? However there’s is an oddity about it. You see, there appears to be no such company as J W Shipley Distribution, either solvent or dissolved, listed on Companies House. An advanced search for all companies with “Shipley” also throws up nothing. Curious!

There is, however, an “independent” member of Humberside Police Authority called John Shipley who happens to be a local Labour Party activist in Hull, who also stood for the Labour Party in Hull during the 2002 elections.

I tried to contact Mr Shipley yesterday for confirmation that the invoice was from him but as yet have had no response.

So is a Labour MP claiming Parliamentary expenses to pay a Labour member to deliver leaflets? Well, although he may not have responded, I’ve been speaking to Liberal Democrats in Hull who confirm they personally saw Labour activist (and frequent election agent) John Shipley out delivering the leaflets in question.

Rum indeed. Investigations are, as they say, continuing…

Denis Healy is the Liberal Democrat candidate in Hull North. To find out how you can help him, see www.denishealy.org.uk

4 Comments

TimberWolf 18th Mar '10 - 2:51pm

Would the Tax Inspector know whether this income was declared?
Peter1919 18th Mar '10 - 3:00pm

It really depends what they were delivering. if it was something paid for by communications allowance then I’d have thought it ok to claim for the delivery out of communications allowance as well (No idea if this is what was done). If it was a political leaflet then there is no justification for it to be delivered at taxpayers expense (not that I ever thought the communications allowance was justified but it was at least legal)
Hywel 18th Mar '10 - 4:03pm

“to be no such company as J W Shipley Distribution, either solvent or dissolved, listed on Companies House”

Could be the trading name of a sole trader. That, AIUI, wouldn’t require registration.

There seems no difference between using a party member to distribute things (under the corrupt Comms Allowance) and using a commercial delivery company. Arguably you’d get a more thorough service and there’s not AIUI any requirement for competitive tender/Best Value etc. In any case the price seems consistent with other commercial services for a full constituency drop.
Stephen 18th Mar '10 - 5:01pm

Any leaflet that would have been paid for by the communication allowance, would have had to have been approved by the Department of Resources within the House of Commons.

Presumably if they have approved the leaflet, then it would have had to have a non party-political message – i.e. you couldn’t use the allowance to slag off your opponents – you had to in effect be reporting what’ve you been up to in Parliament.

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By Liberal Conspiracy » Dizzy in a tizzy over MP’s invoice on Thu 18th March 2010 at 3:39 pm.

[...] over MP’s invoice by Unity March 18, 2010 at 3:39 pm From the file marked ‘are you fucking stupid or what?’… A few days ago Dizzy Thinks spotted an oddity in the expense claims of Hull North Labour MP [...]

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