Jacqui Smith’s appearance on Question Time last night was dominated by expenses.  Much as Nick Griffin’s appearance was dominated the previous week before by a singular issue.  Throughout the programme Ms Smith looked grumpy with the guests and ill at ease with the audience.

An audience member asked if ministers embroiled in the expenses scandal should [...]

Posted on October 30th, 2009 by chris
Filed under: Uncategorized, blog | No Comments »

Former Home Office minister Tony McNulty is ordered to repay almost £14,000 after claiming a second home allowance for his parents’ house.  The Commons standards and privileges committee ruled that Mr McNulty breached Commons rules by making a claim for expenses that were,
//
“not wholly and exclusively incurred in connection with his parliamentary duties”
“had [...]

Posted on October 29th, 2009 by chris
Filed under: Uncategorized, frontpage, projects | No Comments »

The proposed release date of the Kelly Report on the 4th November as reported in the Times and the Telegraph it is likely to ban the employment of family members, something which the Sunlight ‘Disinfecting Parliament’ has already suggested,
While many family members work hard for Members, the abuse of this leniency has shown that a [...]

Posted on October 26th, 2009 by chris
Filed under: Uncategorized, blog | 1 Comment »

The Sunlight Centre Complaint regarding Lord Renard’s designation of his second home has been turned down by the Clerk of the Parliaments.
Peers accused of abusing their expenses have been given the green light to carry on claiming.  They include peers who have been accused of raking in large sums from the taxpayer based on dubious [...]

Posted on October 22nd, 2009 by chris
Filed under: Uncategorized, blog, frontpage | No Comments »

After the lengthy Parliamentary recess and the Legg Audit the Sunlight Centre has launched itself back into the planned Private Prosecution against the former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.  A profile of the Sunlight Centre and an interview with Chris Galley were featured in today’s Independent. Below are some extracts and quotes from Mr Galley’s [...]

Posted on October 16th, 2009 by chris
Filed under: Uncategorized, blog | No Comments »

Jim Devine the MP who the Sunlight Centre reported to the police for abusing his expenses is considering legal action against the Labour Party after it barred him from standing again as a candidate because of his expense claims.  The Sunlight Centre originally reported Mr Devine to the police over bogus claims he made for [...]

Posted on October 14th, 2009 by chris
Filed under: Uncategorized, blog | No Comments »

The Sunlight Centre has today called for MPs to comply with the Sir Thomas Legg inquiry into use of the accommodation allowance and pay back money that was wrongfully claimed for the maintenance of second homes.
In particular, we have written to Jacqui Smith MP whom, you might remember, we referred to the Paraliamentary Commissioner for [...]

Posted on October 12th, 2009 by Juliet
Filed under: frontpage, projects | No Comments »

The Bar Standards Board the body which regulates Barristers has accepted the Sunlight Centre complaint dated 29th September regarding Baroness Scotland’s employment of an illegal overstayer.
The complaint was based on the fact that Baroness Scotland is a qualified Barrister and we believe that she has breached the Barrister’s Code of Conduct by:
‘acting in a way [...]

Posted on October 12th, 2009 by chris
Filed under: Uncategorized, blog | 1 Comment »

The Sunlight Centre had we hope to be an annual event at the Conservative Party Conference on the 6th October in The Freedom Zone.  We would like to thank the Freedom Zone team of Simon Richards, Jane Broadhurst and all their volunteers based in the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester for the smooth running of the [...]

Posted on October 7th, 2009 by chris
Filed under: Uncategorized, blog, frontpage | No Comments »

According to an article in the Daily Mail yesterday Baroness Scotland had not provided her cleaner with the appropriate tax deductions in accordance with employment laws.  This is on top of the £5,000 she has already been fined by the UKBA for failing to photocopy her housekeeper’s passport. 
Now she could also face criticism from [...]

Posted on October 5th, 2009 by chris
Filed under: Uncategorized, blog | No Comments »