Dear All
Three Labour MPs and one Tory peer will face criminal charges over their expenses.
The Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer is actually going to prosecute them.
MPs Elliot Morley, Jim Devine, David Chaytor and Lord Hanningfield will be charged under the Theft Act.
Is there a reasonable chance of conviction?
Yes, if this goes before an English jury.
So, as to a defence, they will be claiming Parliamentary privilege of course and involving others, the Fees Office staff as having misled them.
Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer said;
"In four cases, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges and that it is in the public interest to charge the individuals concerned”.
In this case we will see whether Parliamentary privilege covers criminal acts as the lawyers of the accused with attest it does.
That notion won’t fly with a jury.
Of those getting their collar felt Elliot Morley, MP for Scunthorpe has the least chance of escaping justice and he should consider making a plea of guilty if the Parliamentary privilege pitch won’t wash.
That way he gets a reduction in sentence, given the sums involved prison seems a possibility.
The next unhappy camper is David Chaytor, MP for Bury North, accused of "dishonestly claiming" £1,950 for IT services and £12, 925 and £5,425 relating to rent claims on properties which he and his mother allegedly owned.
Another candidate for prison if found guilty.
Unlucky Livingston MP Jim Devine is accused of "dishonestly claiming" money for cleaning services and for stationery using false invoices.
His unluckiness is based on him being thick and arrogant but of the three; he has a better chance than Morley and Chaytor of beating the rap.
What is of interest is that all three MPs are using the same lawyers that the Labour Party employs, in their joint statement; they denied all charges and would "defend our position robustly".
As to the Tory, John White, Lord Hanningfield, he is accused of "dishonestly" submitting claims "for expenses to which he knew he was not entitled".
This is in relation to his overnight stays in London, he is denying all charges.
He said;
"All the claims I have ever made were made in good faith. I have never claimed more in expenses than I have spent in the course of my duties”.
Short, sweet and to the point and to be expected at this stage.
Labour peer Lord Clarke who was under investigation will not be charged
Lord Clarke said he was;
"hugely relieved that the nine month investigation into his claims under the House of Lords' Allowances Scheme has ended at last, and that he has been cleared of having committed any criminal offence".
A sixth case remains under investigation and I suspect that involves the Labour Peer who made the headlines after an investigation by a national newspaper for claiming for a flat while living in rented accommodation in London.
So, the question, if this goes to Court, I think you can expect the Three Labour MPs to use every legal trick in the book via their lawyers to get the cases dismissed on a technically.
If this goes in front of a jury, then some people will not just have their goose cooked but burnt to a frazzle.
Maybe they should ask their cases to be heard in front of Cherie Blair and tell her how devout they are!
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
Three Labour MPs and one Tory peer will face criminal charges over their expenses.
The Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer is actually going to prosecute them.
MPs Elliot Morley, Jim Devine, David Chaytor and Lord Hanningfield will be charged under the Theft Act.
Is there a reasonable chance of conviction?
Yes, if this goes before an English jury.
So, as to a defence, they will be claiming Parliamentary privilege of course and involving others, the Fees Office staff as having misled them.
Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer said;
"In four cases, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges and that it is in the public interest to charge the individuals concerned”.
In this case we will see whether Parliamentary privilege covers criminal acts as the lawyers of the accused with attest it does.
That notion won’t fly with a jury.
Of those getting their collar felt Elliot Morley, MP for Scunthorpe has the least chance of escaping justice and he should consider making a plea of guilty if the Parliamentary privilege pitch won’t wash.
That way he gets a reduction in sentence, given the sums involved prison seems a possibility.
The next unhappy camper is David Chaytor, MP for Bury North, accused of "dishonestly claiming" £1,950 for IT services and £12, 925 and £5,425 relating to rent claims on properties which he and his mother allegedly owned.
Another candidate for prison if found guilty.
Unlucky Livingston MP Jim Devine is accused of "dishonestly claiming" money for cleaning services and for stationery using false invoices.
His unluckiness is based on him being thick and arrogant but of the three; he has a better chance than Morley and Chaytor of beating the rap.
What is of interest is that all three MPs are using the same lawyers that the Labour Party employs, in their joint statement; they denied all charges and would "defend our position robustly".
As to the Tory, John White, Lord Hanningfield, he is accused of "dishonestly" submitting claims "for expenses to which he knew he was not entitled".
This is in relation to his overnight stays in London, he is denying all charges.
He said;
"All the claims I have ever made were made in good faith. I have never claimed more in expenses than I have spent in the course of my duties”.
Short, sweet and to the point and to be expected at this stage.
Labour peer Lord Clarke who was under investigation will not be charged
Lord Clarke said he was;
"hugely relieved that the nine month investigation into his claims under the House of Lords' Allowances Scheme has ended at last, and that he has been cleared of having committed any criminal offence".
A sixth case remains under investigation and I suspect that involves the Labour Peer who made the headlines after an investigation by a national newspaper for claiming for a flat while living in rented accommodation in London.
So, the question, if this goes to Court, I think you can expect the Three Labour MPs to use every legal trick in the book via their lawyers to get the cases dismissed on a technically.
If this goes in front of a jury, then some people will not just have their goose cooked but burnt to a frazzle.
Maybe they should ask their cases to be heard in front of Cherie Blair and tell her how devout they are!
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
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