Bridget Prentice (Lewisham East, Labour) is to be investigated for using the funds made available for constituency work to promote herself to people living elsewhere. As the local newspaper reports:
Lewisham Liberal Democrat councillor Cllr Mark Morris made the allegation in a letter to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.
It came after a report, containing an invitation to join MP for Lewisham East Bridget Prentice’s support network, was delivered to Mr Morris’s home in Catford’s Rushey Green ward in July.
Mr Morris claims that, since his local MP is Jim Dowd, the newsletter has broken parliamentary guidelines on the use of communications allowances…
Parliamentary commissioner for standards John Lyon has confirmed the complaint will be investigated.
What looks to have happened is that Bridget Prentice is trying to use her MP funds to send information to people who aren’t in her constituency but will come into it under boundary changes.
Ironic footnote: Bridget Prentice is a minster at the Ministry for Justice – you know, the one that sets all sorts of rules for the rest of us to follow when it comes to spending money to promote candidates to the electorate.
UPDATE: Bridget Prentice was found to have broken Parliament’s rules and repaid the costs.
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