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Latest mp to quit
- Thread starter siclean
- Start date
Storer68
New member
Nicholas and Ann Winterton. Now they really were taking the piss
Sir Nicholas and his wife were rebuked by the MPs’ watchdog last year after it emerged that the Commons authorities allowed them to claim rent as tenants for a property that they already owned outright.
Lady Winterton also claimed for more than £1,100 on items including a £67 towel rail and a £94 iron and ironing board. The pair voted consistently against reforming the expenses system, opposing proposals to ban furniture claims and an external audit of MPs’ expenses last July, as well as resisting moves in April to force all claims under £25 to be accompanied by receipts.
In a letter to Mr Cameron, the Tory leader, Sir Nicholas and Lady Winterton said that they could no longer maintain the hectic pace of political life and wanted to step down to spend more time with their family. Sir Nicholas, 71, has been MP for Macclesfield in Cheshire since 1971, while his wife, 68, has represented neighbouring Congleton since 1983.
Sir Nicholas wrote: “Parliament and my constituency have been my life for almost 38 years (and politics in general for almost 50 years) and in Ann’s case for more than 26 years. But when you feel as we do that maybe the years are taking their toll and perhaps we can no longer represent Macclesfield and Congleton with the same level of energy and enthusiasm as in the past, we have reached the conclusion that we should pass the baton to a younger person because both Congleton and Macclesfield deserve the very best.”
The Wintertons have long been seen as members of the Tory old guard who have been a thorn in the side of the Cameron leadership and whose embarrassing expenses claims have been unhelpful to the party as it tries to modernise its image.
The pair are members of the “better off out” group, which campaigns for Britain to leave the European Union, and Sir Nicholas was a member of the right-wing Monday Club. Lady Winterton was sacked from the Conservative front bench in 2002 after a racist rugby club joke.
Questions were raised over their expense claims last year when the pair were rebuked by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner over their housing arrangements.
The couple bought a Westminster flat in 2002, put it in a trust for their children and then claimed £165,828 rent on expenses — a practice that was within the rules at the time but was outlawed in July 2006.
John Lyon, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, who investigated the affair, said it was “arguable” that the practice also breached rules introduced in 2003.
Mr Cameron described the arrangement as indefensible, although Sir Nicholas has said: “I try to tackle matters of expenses in a responsible way. I don’t spend any more money than is absolutely necessary.”
The Standards and Privileges Committee said that the couple should not face any punishment or repayment because the breach was unwitting and they did not try to hide the arrangement. The committee’s report was also heavily critical of the parliamentary authorities for failing to stop the arrangement after it breached the rules.
DEFENDER OF BENEFITS
Sir Nicholas Winterton has long been a staunch defender of MPs’ right to claim freely on expenses (Kaya Burgess writes). In 2004 he condemned the attempt to curb benefits as “grotesquely unfair”.
He opposed legislation to make MPs’ correspondence available for publication under the Freedom of Information Act.
In July the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner found that Sir Nicholas and his wife, Ann, had misused their expenses to pay £165,000 of rent on a £700,000 London home that they had already bought.
From 2004 to 2008 the couple claimed £132,210 in expenses.
Lady Winterton claimed for £120 in bathroom accessories and £165 for chairs. She claimed nearly £11,000 in service charges. The couple also claimed more than £11,400 for food, in a total of £132,210.
Sir Nicholas and his wife were rebuked by the MPs’ watchdog last year after it emerged that the Commons authorities allowed them to claim rent as tenants for a property that they already owned outright.
Lady Winterton also claimed for more than £1,100 on items including a £67 towel rail and a £94 iron and ironing board. The pair voted consistently against reforming the expenses system, opposing proposals to ban furniture claims and an external audit of MPs’ expenses last July, as well as resisting moves in April to force all claims under £25 to be accompanied by receipts.
In a letter to Mr Cameron, the Tory leader, Sir Nicholas and Lady Winterton said that they could no longer maintain the hectic pace of political life and wanted to step down to spend more time with their family. Sir Nicholas, 71, has been MP for Macclesfield in Cheshire since 1971, while his wife, 68, has represented neighbouring Congleton since 1983.
Sir Nicholas wrote: “Parliament and my constituency have been my life for almost 38 years (and politics in general for almost 50 years) and in Ann’s case for more than 26 years. But when you feel as we do that maybe the years are taking their toll and perhaps we can no longer represent Macclesfield and Congleton with the same level of energy and enthusiasm as in the past, we have reached the conclusion that we should pass the baton to a younger person because both Congleton and Macclesfield deserve the very best.”
The Wintertons have long been seen as members of the Tory old guard who have been a thorn in the side of the Cameron leadership and whose embarrassing expenses claims have been unhelpful to the party as it tries to modernise its image.
The pair are members of the “better off out” group, which campaigns for Britain to leave the European Union, and Sir Nicholas was a member of the right-wing Monday Club. Lady Winterton was sacked from the Conservative front bench in 2002 after a racist rugby club joke.
Questions were raised over their expense claims last year when the pair were rebuked by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner over their housing arrangements.
The couple bought a Westminster flat in 2002, put it in a trust for their children and then claimed £165,828 rent on expenses — a practice that was within the rules at the time but was outlawed in July 2006.
John Lyon, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, who investigated the affair, said it was “arguable” that the practice also breached rules introduced in 2003.
Mr Cameron described the arrangement as indefensible, although Sir Nicholas has said: “I try to tackle matters of expenses in a responsible way. I don’t spend any more money than is absolutely necessary.”
The Standards and Privileges Committee said that the couple should not face any punishment or repayment because the breach was unwitting and they did not try to hide the arrangement. The committee’s report was also heavily critical of the parliamentary authorities for failing to stop the arrangement after it breached the rules.
DEFENDER OF BENEFITS
Sir Nicholas Winterton has long been a staunch defender of MPs’ right to claim freely on expenses (Kaya Burgess writes). In 2004 he condemned the attempt to curb benefits as “grotesquely unfair”.
He opposed legislation to make MPs’ correspondence available for publication under the Freedom of Information Act.
In July the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner found that Sir Nicholas and his wife, Ann, had misused their expenses to pay £165,000 of rent on a £700,000 London home that they had already bought.
From 2004 to 2008 the couple claimed £132,210 in expenses.
Lady Winterton claimed for £120 in bathroom accessories and £165 for chairs. She claimed nearly £11,000 in service charges. The couple also claimed more than £11,400 for food, in a total of £132,210.
coventrygull
the right one
At the rate this is going there won't be any MP's left
Storer68
New member
simonsimon
New member
- Dec 31, 2004
- 692
Julie Kirkbride is no stranger to headline news:
"Stephen Milligan, a former MP for Eastleigh in Hampshire, England and at the time a Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Arms Minister Jonathan Aitken, died in early 1994. Curiously, the reported date of his death varies. His semi-nude body, wearing only items of women's underwear and stockings, was reportedly found draped across a kitchen table at his London residence by his house cleaner, Vera Taggart. He was an infrequent resident at his London accommodation, staying more at his Hampshire home in Boyatt Wood. His London cleaner said after finding the body that she had not expected him to be at the premises."
"He was then engaged to Julie Kirkbride MP. At the time Julie Kirkbride, was a political correspondent with the Sunday Telegraph and is now a Tory MP at Bromsgrove in the Midlands. "
"Stephen Milligan, a former MP for Eastleigh in Hampshire, England and at the time a Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Arms Minister Jonathan Aitken, died in early 1994. Curiously, the reported date of his death varies. His semi-nude body, wearing only items of women's underwear and stockings, was reportedly found draped across a kitchen table at his London residence by his house cleaner, Vera Taggart. He was an infrequent resident at his London accommodation, staying more at his Hampshire home in Boyatt Wood. His London cleaner said after finding the body that she had not expected him to be at the premises."
"He was then engaged to Julie Kirkbride MP. At the time Julie Kirkbride, was a political correspondent with the Sunday Telegraph and is now a Tory MP at Bromsgrove in the Midlands. "
Goldstone Rapper
Rediffusion PlayerofYear
lighthouse
Member
Is it just me or does Julie Kirkbridge have a future as a MILF.
Its just you.
seagullsovergrimsby
#cpfctinpotclub
Is it just me or does Julie Kirkbridge have a future as a MILF.
From the look of her no but could be a GILF
seagullsovergrimsby
#cpfctinpotclub
Kemp Town & Pavilion likely to go blue as well.
if they done nothing wrong, as they are all claimingwhy they standing down ??
exactly...............
ok they were within the rules, well some were, but they are in a job elected by us, and should have higher morals...........
instead of being penny pinchers, using taxpayers money to line their pockets.
peter viggers is, or was my local mp, because the locals all vote conservitive, no matter who is the mp, as one of neighbours asked a while ago, what has he done for gosport
? sod all.....well he gave the local ducks in his garden a nice home.....
but how does him claiming a duck house, or £500's of manure for his garden, help him be a mp for gosport residents
??criminal, i'm sure he would be the first to complain about a single mother getiing a few extra pounds of benefits.........
siclean
ex hollingbury
- Apr 14, 2009
- 1,577
- Thread starter
- #33
exactly...............
ok they were within the rules, well some were, but they are in a job elected by us, and should have higher morals...........
instead of being penny pinchers, using taxpayers money to line their pockets.
peter viggers is, or was my local mp, because the locals all vote conservitive, no matter who is the mp, as one of neighbours asked a while ago, what has he done for gosport
well he gave the local ducks in his garden a nice home.....
but how does him claiming a duck house, or £500's of manure for his garden, help him be a mp for gosport residents
criminal, i'm sure he would be the first to complain about a single mother getiing a few extra pounds of benefits.........
string em up before the courts..no ifs no buts...if any other person fiddled their work expenses they would be out on their ears !!! most of them fiddling gits are still happy working away !!! talk about double standards !
seagullsovergrimsby
#cpfctinpotclub
Anyone else fiddling expenses would be given instant dismissal and taken to court for fraud. Their excuse of only claiming what is within the rules is utter tosh.
simonsimon
New member
- Dec 31, 2004
- 692
This Tory money grabbing harpie should be kicked out of Parliament NOW, and should not be allowed to continue in her seat to qualify for severance pay at the end of this Parlimentary session,
Ernest
Stupid IDIOT
No way will I vote for Barlow, shame as I thought she was ok but no she is just another with their snout in the trough