The Evening Standard has a front-page splash today about Tory MP Patrick Cormack suggesting the best solution to the expenses crisis is to simplify the system by taking away most allowance. To support this, he says, "the salaray of Members would have to be doubled at least."
Of course, Cormack actually said this about two months [...]
Posted on August 19th, 2009 by Juliet
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The Sunlight Centre for Open Politics has today placed a complaint with the Cabinet Office querying Lord Mandelson’s Corfu meeting with Colonel Gadaffi’s son, Saif al-Islam Gadaffi just days before the announcement was made that Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi was to be sent home on compassionate grounds as he is suffering from terminal cancer.
Officials in Scotland, [...]
Posted on August 18th, 2009 by chris
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Martin Bell the former BBC war reporter and independent MP for Tatton has teamed up with the former Beiruit hostage to co-ordinate up to 25 anti – sleaze local candidates to stand against MPs who have been involved in the MPs expenses scandal. It has not been confirmed yet which constituency Mr Bell or Mr [...]
Posted on August 17th, 2009 by chris
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Should Alan Duncan be allowed to remain in charge of reforming Tory MP expenses?(survey)
Posted on August 13th, 2009 by chris
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The Sunlight Centre for Open Politics has reported Sir Kevin Tebbit the former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence to the Civil Service Commissioners over recent allegations surrounding his new employment since leaving his post in the civil service in November 2005. Sir Kevin retired from the MOD in November 2005 to take up [...]
Posted on August 13th, 2009 by chris
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An article by Chris Galley, our Research Director, appeared on the Index on Censorship today in response to the Public Administration Select Committee’s newly released proposals to protect civil service whistle-blowers:
When it was discovered, in November last year, that I was the source of a series of Home Office leaks that caused considerable embarrassment to [...]
Posted on August 12th, 2009 by Juliet
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The Commons Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) chaired by Tony Wright MP released a report today which looks at leaks and whistle-blowing in Whitehall, PASC argues that leaks damage trust within government. It also suggests that the leak investigations are politically motivated, including leaks from special advisers and ministers. The conclusion of this report is [...]
Posted on August 10th, 2009 by chris
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The Sunlight Centre for Open Politics has reported Lord Sheldon to the House of Lords authorities over reports that appeared in the Sunday Times at the weekend.
Lord Sheldon a former treasury minister and chairman of the Commons Public Accounts Committee is accused of claiming £130,000 of the ‘overnight’ subsistence allowance for a home he previously [...]
Posted on August 10th, 2009 by chris
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The Sunlight Centre for Open Politics has reported Lord Taylor to the House of Lords authorities regarding allegations surrounding his £70,000 overnight subsistence and his supposed phantom addresses in the Midlands between 2001 – 2007. We have given Lord Taylor several days to respond to our questions but he has not replied at all. Below [...]
Posted on August 6th, 2009 by chris
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John Bercow the new Speaker for the House of Commons has according to according to the Daily Telegraph this morning alledegdy spent £20,000 on refurbishments to the Speaker’s palace. Mr Bercow has said that as he now has his young family (aged one, three and five) are living in the Speaker’s palace alterations are necessary. [...]
Posted on August 5th, 2009 by chris
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