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David Laws. Chief secretary to the treasury.
- Thread starter Leekbrookgull
- Start date
larus
Well-known member
Must admit, he's impressed me (for a Liberal 
).
).Looks like your timing in this assertion couldn't be more impeccable!
See tomorrows Daily Telegraph:
MPs' Expenses: Treasury chief David Laws, his secret lover and a £40,000 claim - Telegraph
See tomorrows Daily Telegraph:
MPs' Expenses: Treasury chief David Laws, his secret lover and a £40,000 claim - Telegraph
Lord Bracknell
On fire
Nah.
The coalition is FALLING APART. And the Daily Telegraph is leading the attack.
BBC News - Treasury Minister David Laws apologises over expenses
Treasury Minister David Laws apologises over expenses
Chief Treasury Secretary David Laws has apologised for claiming MPs' expenses to rent rooms in homes owned by his partner.
Mr Laws said he would immediately pay back the money the Daily Telegraph said totalled more than £40,000.
Mr Laws said he had been trying to keep his relationship with his male partner "private".
David Cameron said he agreed with Mr Laws' decision to refer himself to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.
Since 2006 parliamentary rules have banned MPs from "leasing accommodation from a partner".
The Daily Telegraph said Mr Laws claimed up to £950 a month for five years to rent a room in two properties owned by his partner, James Lundie.
In a statement, Mr Laws said: "I've been involved in a relationship with James Lundie since around 2001 - about two years after first moving in with him.
"Our relationship has been unknown to both family and friends throughout that time.
"At no point did I consider myself to be in breach of the rules which in 2009 defined partner as 'one of a couple… who although not married to each other or civil partners are living together and treat each other as spouses'.
"Although we were living together we did not treat each other as spouses - for example we do not share bank accounts and indeed have separate social lives.
"However, I now accept that this was open to interpretation and will immediately pay back the costs of the rent and other housing costs I claimed from the time the rules changed until August 2009."
He added: "I regret this situation deeply, accept that I should not have claimed my expenses in this way and apologise fully."
A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said: "The prime minister has been made aware of this situation and he agrees with David Laws' decision to self refer to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner."
The coalition is FALLING APART. And the Daily Telegraph is leading the attack.
BBC News - Treasury Minister David Laws apologises over expenses
Treasury Minister David Laws apologises over expenses
Chief Treasury Secretary David Laws has apologised for claiming MPs' expenses to rent rooms in homes owned by his partner.
Mr Laws said he would immediately pay back the money the Daily Telegraph said totalled more than £40,000.
Mr Laws said he had been trying to keep his relationship with his male partner "private".
David Cameron said he agreed with Mr Laws' decision to refer himself to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.
Since 2006 parliamentary rules have banned MPs from "leasing accommodation from a partner".
The Daily Telegraph said Mr Laws claimed up to £950 a month for five years to rent a room in two properties owned by his partner, James Lundie.
In a statement, Mr Laws said: "I've been involved in a relationship with James Lundie since around 2001 - about two years after first moving in with him.
"Our relationship has been unknown to both family and friends throughout that time.
"At no point did I consider myself to be in breach of the rules which in 2009 defined partner as 'one of a couple… who although not married to each other or civil partners are living together and treat each other as spouses'.
"Although we were living together we did not treat each other as spouses - for example we do not share bank accounts and indeed have separate social lives.
"However, I now accept that this was open to interpretation and will immediately pay back the costs of the rent and other housing costs I claimed from the time the rules changed until August 2009."
He added: "I regret this situation deeply, accept that I should not have claimed my expenses in this way and apologise fully."
A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said: "The prime minister has been made aware of this situation and he agrees with David Laws' decision to self refer to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner."
Chicken Runner61
We stand where we want!
- May 20, 2007
- 4,609
Yes a very steady start - I thought the liberals didn't have any false claims MP's!
Beach Hut
Brighton Bhuna Boy
Was he related to Jeremy Thorpe
Lord Bracknell
On fire
Is this the same James Lundie, lobbyist for Edelman, who describes himself as the former adviser to both Charles Kennedy MP and Paddy Ashdown as Leaders of the Liberal Democrats?
Lord Bracknell
On fire
Oh dear. And he thought he'd got away with it.
David Laws MPs expenses| Western Gazette| This is
Laws in the clear over expenses, promises to be even more frugal
Saturday, October 17, 2009
YEOVIL MP David Laws won't have to pay back any of his expenses claimed during the last five years.
This week MPs received letters from auditors working for former civil servant Sir Thomas Legg who is leading the review into abuses.
Mr Laws has not been asked to repay any expenses but would be required to provide a copy of his council tax receipt to the review team.
He also said he would be publishing his full expense details for the first six months of the financial year on his website at Home Page for Yeovil Liberal Democrats
He said: "I am, of course, very pleased that the Independent Inquiry into MPs expenses has not required me to reimburse any of the amounts I have claimed.
"Indeed, the only additional information which the inquiry team has requested from me is a copy of a council tax bill, and I will be very happy to provide this.
"I believe strongly that all expenditure by MPs – whether it is on staffing and office costs, or for reimbursement of our own expenses – should be made available regularly for the scrutiny of those we are accountable to, our constituents.
"The vast majority of my spending against my allowances is on the costs of delivering a good quality of service to my constituents. That is why around 85 per cent of my spending is on staff, office costs, advice centres and postage.
"My expenditure on the costs of living in London while Parliament is sitting is well below the allowable amount, and I intend to keep things that way. For the rest of this Parliament and the next, I intend to keep my spending to at least 20 per cent lower than the amount presently set by Parliament, as a commitment to prudent management of public funds at a time when tough decisions have to be made to hold down overall public spending."
His leader, Nick Clegg has agreed to pay back £910 in gardening expenses. Many MPs have expressed concern that they were being judged on their past behaviour under new standards that have been set since the expenses scandal exploded earlier this year.
David Laws MPs expenses| Western Gazette| This is
Laws in the clear over expenses, promises to be even more frugal
Saturday, October 17, 2009
YEOVIL MP David Laws won't have to pay back any of his expenses claimed during the last five years.
This week MPs received letters from auditors working for former civil servant Sir Thomas Legg who is leading the review into abuses.
Mr Laws has not been asked to repay any expenses but would be required to provide a copy of his council tax receipt to the review team.
He also said he would be publishing his full expense details for the first six months of the financial year on his website at Home Page for Yeovil Liberal Democrats
He said: "I am, of course, very pleased that the Independent Inquiry into MPs expenses has not required me to reimburse any of the amounts I have claimed.
"Indeed, the only additional information which the inquiry team has requested from me is a copy of a council tax bill, and I will be very happy to provide this.
"I believe strongly that all expenditure by MPs – whether it is on staffing and office costs, or for reimbursement of our own expenses – should be made available regularly for the scrutiny of those we are accountable to, our constituents.
"The vast majority of my spending against my allowances is on the costs of delivering a good quality of service to my constituents. That is why around 85 per cent of my spending is on staff, office costs, advice centres and postage.
"My expenditure on the costs of living in London while Parliament is sitting is well below the allowable amount, and I intend to keep things that way. For the rest of this Parliament and the next, I intend to keep my spending to at least 20 per cent lower than the amount presently set by Parliament, as a commitment to prudent management of public funds at a time when tough decisions have to be made to hold down overall public spending."
His leader, Nick Clegg has agreed to pay back £910 in gardening expenses. Many MPs have expressed concern that they were being judged on their past behaviour under new standards that have been set since the expenses scandal exploded earlier this year.
The Modfather
New member
No comment from Clegg yet then?
Will be interesting to see how the coalition deal with this, what with Cameron campaigning on a mandate to clean up politics.
Will be interesting to see how the coalition deal with this, what with Cameron campaigning on a mandate to clean up politics.
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,721
In the big scheme of things, I'm not sure he's done that much wrong.
It really has to be looked at in the context of other MPs waiting for their London properties to increase in value, whilst claiming the interest in their mortgage payments.
I'm personally not that bothered he was getting a bit from his Landlord. If he wasn't he would have renting somewhere else anyway.
It really has to be looked at in the context of other MPs waiting for their London properties to increase in value, whilst claiming the interest in their mortgage payments.
I'm personally not that bothered he was getting a bit from his Landlord. If he wasn't he would have renting somewhere else anyway.
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Chicken Runner61
We stand where we want!
- May 20, 2007
- 4,609
In your job would you be able to pay rent to your wife or girlfriend?
This is the bloke in charge of sorting out the deficit - if he can't tell the right and wrong between what he did here how can he tell whats right and wrong in a countries finances?
Billy the Fish
Technocrat
Billy the Fish
Technocrat
Mabye he can do what he did again but on an international level. If we claim a few billion a year from the EU on some kind of bogus subsidy then we'll have the defecit back to nothing in no time.
In fact, all our MPs should be pretty good at that, I don't know why they haven't thought of it before.
Wozza
Shite Supporter
No, except break parliamentary rules.
larus
Well-known member
I voted Tory, but as posted earlier, I think he's been very impressive in his appearances so far. It would be a shame if he goes, but I think he must go. He's broken the rules, and whatever the circumstances are, he's been found out.
Compared to what a lot of others have been doing in flipping their residences to get work done etc, this is relatively petty, but these are the rules, and it's down to trust.
Compared to what a lot of others have been doing in flipping their residences to get work done etc, this is relatively petty, but these are the rules, and it's down to trust.
lighthouse
Member
Are you Ernest in disguise?
Actually yes and I could have in all my previous jobs. If I stay away from my main home for a night for work I have a choice :
1. Get the company to pay for a hotel
2. Claim the over night subsidy that allows me to pay a relative or friend to stay with them
NS Herald
Well-known member
I agree entirely. Cameron has spoken out loudly on such a subject and now has to act decisively. As good as Laws may be at what he does (in Parliament that is) he has abused the rules and it would set entirely the wrong tone this early in the new Government - bye bye David
Lord Bracknell
On fire
The curious thing about the rules that are applied to the economic statistics that govern our politics is that paying rent to your landlord is contributing to the gross domestic product of the nation. Giving money to your partner is a transaction that contributes nothing to the nation's wealth.
We could probably eliminate the deficit completely if EVERYONE married their landlord.
simonsimon
New member
- Dec 31, 2004
- 692
First crooked member of the LIB/CON COALITION resigns.
Less than three weeks and the wheels are coming off already.
Less than three weeks and the wheels are coming off already.