Hot news today is the recommendations for MPs allowances, which include not employing family members and apparently cutting claiming for gardening. Michael Howard is getting out just in time! (see posts below)
On October 15 Mr Howard was coy about the letter he received from Sir Thomas Legg, the independent auditor investigating MPs' claims. When asked to reveal the contents of the letter by the Herald, Mr. Howard said "I don't intend to answer."
Pressed if his response would be the same were he exonerated, he replied "it probably would. There is an appropriate time for these things to be made public."
Right. Would this appropriate time be ‘as late as possible, preferably when I am long gone’? Just idle speculation.
Of course there is no obligation to share this with the public, although in July Mr Howard was more than willing to share the information that he would not make any more claims on his Second Home allowance, in the light of ‘substantial’ outside earnings.
Interestingly in a separate development Conservative MP for Ashford Damian Green had by this point already announced he would pay back £1,324.96 in cleaning bills. For a good summary of 'the Kent lot' see http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2009/october/14/kent_mps_expenses.aspx.
One can only hope the truth will out. However, leaving politics at the next election may be a blessing in disguise.
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