MP Derek Conway in Expenses Imbroglio

Yet more scandalous news on the MPs expenses front as more snouts are discovered at the bottom of the trough.

The Times has clearly got a mole working somewhere in the system, to judge by two reports it has carried in recent days, each of which will on its own outrage the British Taxpayer, especially now it takes so long to reach ‘Tax Freedom Day’. This post deals with the first such.

Firstly on 27^th. May The Times had THIS on Sir Edward Heath’s successor, Derek Conway (Con. Old Bexley and Sidcup). He is evidently not shy about employing members of his family.

Let us take the case of his son, Frederick Conway. He is a full-time University Undergraduate reading geography with a view to graduating this summer. One may infer from that that he is working at full stretch in order to ensure he gets the best possible degree for his future employment prospects. One wonders therefore how he can fit in the sort of hours research for his MP Father at the rate of £981.00 per month (£11,772 per annum). Let us say his work is worth £20 per hour, a pretty good rate for someone without a degree: that represents some 49 hours per month research, 11 hours per week. It simply beggars belief that Mr. Conway the only person he could find to be his researcher is his as yet unqualified son who just happens to be going through the rather expensive business of going through university.

It does not end there though. The Rotten Borough of Old Bexley and Sidcup also sees the employment of Mrs. Conway as Mr. Conway’s registered parliamentary assistant at a salary of £3271 per month (£39, 252 per annum). Taken together with his MPs salary of £60,277, there is a gross income per annum of £111,301 flowing into the Conway Gravy Bowl. Nice work if you can get it.

Conway, as The Times reports, has previous, it seems, having, in 2005-6, claimed £4,072 for car mileage, which can be claimed for journeys between home, Westminster and the constituency, and for travel up to 20 miles outside of an MP’s seat on local business. Conway’s claim would equate to about 1,000 trips between Westminster and his constituency. He also claims, of course, a full whack of the allowance for a second home nearer Westminster even though his constituency is, according to www.multimap.com, 12.2 miles from Westminster. In 2004/2005 he was, according to www.theyworkforyou.com the highest such claimant; in 2003/2004 he was the 3^rd. highest such claimant; in 2002/2003 he was again the highest such claimant; In 2001/2002 he was the 2^nd. highest such claimant. See HERE.

Whilst all this is no doubt absolutely legal according to the rules governing allowances, the question is whether this sort of thing ought to be legal.

This story once again demonstrates clearly the need for complete transparency concerning MP’s and Peer’s expenses and allowances. Putting them online with complete detail in the way the Scottish Parliament does is the only way we are going to begin to get to grips with our high-spending political elite. In particular we should be able to have a declaration from each claimant MP or Peer concerning the existence of any relationship, by blood, marriage or other degree of intimacy or even business with anyone who is a recipient of Taxpayer’s money.