Dear All
Rules, it has been said are a trap to catch those who have no initiative.
In some sense that is true but rules can also used as a screen for self advancement such as in the case of Labour Peer, Alan Haworth.
Alan Haworth lives in London, England that is his main residence.
But for the purposes of ripping off the British Taxpayer legally, he has designated his holiday cottage in Avoch, in the Moray Firth, 575 miles from London as his main residence.
The British taxpayers are paying for a former Labour party official’s holiday cottage.
But it gets better; Haworth owns multiple homes in London.
Since becoming a Lord in 2004 he has claimed more than £100,000.
Some people with the exception of the Labour Party and Lord Haworth may call that outright criminal fraud as the allowances are for people who live outside London.
He doesn’t.
Alan Haworth has been quite cute by buying a small fisherman’s cottage in Avoch, in the Moray Firth, north-east Scotland and telling the Commons Authorities it is his main home.
Funny enough, now the story is in the public domain, Lord Haworth has disappeared from it; he isn’t taking calls and answering questions.
On top of his £100,000 claim is another £20,000 in travel expenses, some might ask, are we paying him to go on holiday and/or manage his property portfolio?
Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said;
“The Lords needs greater scrutiny and an inquiry similar to the one carried out by Sir Thomas Legg in the Commons”.
More than that a Police investigation wouldn’t go a miss either!
Elliott added;
“It is absurd to call a cottage in Scotland your main home when you have lived in London for many years and own three other properties in the capital and abroad.”
Too true, I suspect the majority of the British public would agree with that statement.
Those Peers who genuinely live outside London can legally claim £174 a night for the cost of living in the capital while attending the Lords and also travel expenses.
There should be an investigation in Alan Haworth marrying up his Lord allowances along side his travel allowances.
I would say that there is a case for removal of peerages to be addressed as well.
But the last word should go to Alan Haworth’s neighbours in Scotland;
“We see him more than his wife, but he treats this home as a holiday home. He lives his life down south.”
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
3 comments:
Another one....
They have no shame, and yet they sit in that house anc call each otehr "noble"
They have disgraced that word, the parliament, the country and themselves.
Dear Tris
It is a great pity someone like me isn't in charge of the Fees Office.
Some people in public life, right across the board are a disgrace.
And we are paying for it.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
How I wish I had read the comments by George Laird some years ago.
I have voiced my concerns to Parliament, to The House of Lords and even to the newspapers with little or no response. It's interesting to note that the issues have been investigated by the Clerk of the Parliaments' Office and subsequently from April 2010 by the House of Lords Commissioner for Standards and not by an independent body. I live around the corner from Lord Haworth's 'Principal residence' and there is no doubt the house is used as a holiday home with long periods of absence. It was also interesting to note that for many years he would use a French registered car whilst in residence.
Perhaps the findings of individual enquiries are correct but only in relation to the existing rules which urgently need reviewing.
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