Stephen Ladyman MP has posted his receipts and claim forms on-line.
Stephen Ladyman, the MP for South Thanet has added his expense claim forms and receipts to his web site as well as providing unaudited data, that won't be officially released for another year. for his expense claims for 2008/9.
The MP first provided details of his expenses on his website early last year and update them in April to include the latest information. He has now expanded the information provided to allow access to the raw claim forms and receipts.
Stephen commented "People are understandably angry about what they've read in the newspapers and heard on the news in the last week but although copies of receipts and claim forms had been leaked to the Telegraph, the same information wasn't available to MPs in a form we could publish until a few days ago. In the interests of full transparancy I've now published everything I can via my website. Some information has been redacted to stop bank account details being released and to comply with data protection laws because third parties were referred to but otherwise my constituents have now got everything that I've got."
"I hope that people don't tar all MPs with the same brush. I've long advocated a reform of the expense system and greater transparency and done my best through my own web site to set an example. The vast majority of MPs are hard working and honest. If some have made mistakes they should be held to account but we should not all be blamed for their mistakes."
"On the doorsteps of Ramnsgate today and as I've met people all around the constituency in the last few days most people have said they understand that not all MPs have expolited the system, they want those who have done so punished but they don't blame us all for the errors of the few. I'm also pleased to say that they have been very kind and understanding to me personally."
The website address is www.stephenladyman.info and then follow the link in the contents column to 'Steve's Expenses'
Silent Movie (Thanet Life)
8 hours ago
6 comments:
I see that, predictably, the entirely partisan local Tory spin "doctor" Moores is deriding Ladyman's publication on his blog.
He, as ever, praises his little local hero, Gale, but neglects to mention that Gale employs his wife at a salary of up to £80,000 a year yet refuses to diclose a) exactly how much and b) whether she ever competed for the post.
He neglects to mention Gale's unswerving support for Conway, the Tory MP found guilty of cheating months before any of the present scandal erupted. And Gale's attack on Conway's critics as "witchhunters".
And of course, he neglects to mention any of the Tories currently mired in scandal alongside, sadly, some Labour MPs.
But then truth, fact and objectivity are never allowed to get in the way of "Thanet Life's" stories, Tory dogma and spinning (like a top).
Amazing public silence from the local Tory Parliamentary ranter, Gale on all of this. But then, he is hardly able to throw stones personally, is he?
He has defended proven Tory cheats in the past and he pays his wife huge amounts of public cash to act as his "secretary". And has done for years.
Personally silent, but his personal megaphone, Tory Doctor of Philosophy and Councillor Moores, is very vocal on the subject, selectively lambasting Labour MPs, but of course no Tories. And now his language is becoming more pathetic and puerile, obliquely referring to Labour activists as "twits". I guess if challenged on his wilder language and misleading stories, he will deliver his usual bleat of "not what I meant".
So like the MPs with their "mistakes".
Maybe because Gales expenses have been on line for a year or more
No, SOME elements of Gale's expenses have been on line. Helpfully (to him) not disclosing all the sensitivities. And helpfully (to him) only since his second home claim has dropped to a more modest level.
Roger Gale's wife IS his secretary. Certainly she's dealt initially with all my emails & letters in the past, & very thoroughly too.
I wrote "secretary" because I am aware Gale's wife has a different title. Having re-checked, it is "Parliamentary Office Director".
I was not suggesting she doesn't in fact work for him - and therein lies the rub.
The growing view is that MPs should not employ family members. If you were running a small business, fine, employ your family out of your own money. But this is not Gale's money. It is our money.
His wife is in effect a public servant. Other public servants are subject to fair and open competition and employment practices. Why isn't/wasn't she?
He pays her an undisclosed sum out of public funds - out of his £80,000 total staff costs. For any other staff he employs, no issue. But as, for his wife, it means the MP's overall family income is coming from us, and he is accountable to us, we should know how much that overall family income amounts to. If we now believe we have a right to know about MPs buying television sets and duck islands, surely we should know about big ticket items like this?
I know MPs of all Parties advantage their families in this way, but I am focussing on the local MP.
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