Sunlight is on the case:

More soon.

We, the undersigned, call on Eric Illsley to immediately resign and trigger a by-election in Barnsley Central.

SIGN

The battle for Eastleigh was one of the tightest at the General Election. Chris Huhne managed to hold the seat after a hard-fought battle with Maria Hutchings, the Conservative candidate. Huhne declared campaign expenses of £10,911.05 in the 23 days before the General Election – a mere £113 under the the legal limit of £11,024.

After examining the expenses returns of Chris Huhne the Sunlight Centre for Open Politics posed a number of question to Eastleigh Liberal Democrats. A week later we are yet to receive a response. Given how close Chris Huhne was to his expenses limit it is necessary to have absolute transparency in order to assure the public that no impropriety was taking place.

One area of concern is the ‘Itchen Valley Printing Society’, a company that provided a large proportion of Chris Huhne’s campaign literature. He spent £4,426 with the organisation – over 40% of his total spend in the short campaign.

But despite its vague name the organisation is far from independent. The Itchen Valley Printing Society is based at 109a Leigh Road, Eastleigh – the same address as Chris Huhne’s constituency office. And in 2007 Huhne claimed over £2,600 of taxpayer’s money from his parliamentary Communications Fund to fund an ‘Envelope Stuffing Machine’ for the Printing Society.

It is feasible that there is a printing press at the small suburban office that serves as Eastleigh Lib Dem HQ. But the leaflets that were distributed by Chris Huhne during the election all state in their smallprint that they were printed by ‘Park Communications Ltd’ of Alpine Way, London:

-Example 1
-Example 2
-Example 3

The Sunlight COPs have asked why Park Communications did not directly invoice Eastleigh Liberal Democrats but instead filtered all these expenses through the Itchen Valley Printing Society. We want to ensure that Park were charging a fair price. The invoices provided do not allow us to do so.

Park Communications is the Lib Dems’ favourite printer and supplied materials to many Lib Dem candidates in marginal seats. Its chief executive, Heath Mason, has close connections to high flying Lib Dems and co-hosted a reception at last autumn’s party conference with Hilary Stephenson, the head of the Lib Dem’s Campaigns Department. Stephenson notably advised Lib Dems on how to squeeze their Communications Allowance for party-political gain.

The Sunlight COPs have several unanswered questions that can be seen below:

Letter to Chris Huhne’s agent

TUESDAY 10AM

Next Tuesday 30th March, 3 MPs and one Lord will attend the first formal day of their trial for fraud or false accounting. This is the culmination of many months’ outrage, investigation and fury at our parliamentarians’ rank abuse of the expenses system. Hundreds have promised to turn out in protest and the Sunlight Centre and other friends hope you will join us.

IT WILL BE KICKING OFF AT 10AM

SOUTHWARK CROWN COURT:

Mr Devine was first reported to the police by the Sunlight Centre for Open Politics

Commenting today on the news Harry Cole from Sunlight said “this is a great day for transparency. Finally the message is getting through that law makers cannot be lawbreakers.”

In a letter to John Lyon the Commissioner, the Sunlight Centre for Open Politics stated that despite being cleared of breaching the Ministerial Code by Sir Philip Mawer, it has subsequently emerged that Mr Malik is unable to provide any receipts or a written rental agreement to support his claims for the rent claimed on his constituency home.

That alone is enough to warrant an investigation by the Parliamentary Standards Commission, however, allegations of further expenses controversies on the part of Mr Malik have now come to light.

While claiming for the full allowance for a London home, which we accept was within the rules, the question must be addressed of whether Mr Malik was misusing his office allowances in order to subsidise his constituency home, which would explain the below market rate rent for his home.

As reported this morning this morning, Mr Malik is alleged to be claiming office expenses for his constituency property and and a thorough investigation is required to make sure this is a legitimate use of public money.

Harry Cole from the Sunlight Centre for Open Politics said;

” ‘The Green Book’ rules for MPs’ expenses that were in place when these claims were made, stated: “You must ensure that arrangements for your office and surgery premises are above reproach and that there can be no grounds for a suggestion of misuse of public money.” (5.12.1) In our view Mr Malik’s arrangements were clearly not “above reproach” and there is prima facie evidence to suggest there has been “misuse of public money”.”