Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
#1
David Laws,the new Treasury Minister,has had to report himself to the Parliamentary Standards Commission for claiming £40k of tax payers money to cover the cost of renting a room from his gay lover in London.Apparently he wanted to keep their relationship quiet so continued to claim the dosh even after the changes in the expenses rules which prohibits payments to partners spouses etc.
Will they ever learn? ps He only coughed up after being exposed by the Torygraph!!!
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
#2
Yes once again The Daily Telegraph has done us a good service. For those who dismiss journalists as the lowest of the low, its worthwhile remembering that all the info at our disposal now about political financial sleaze came from The Daily Telegraph. The Telegraph brought about more revolutionary change in parliament than our MPs could ever dream of. And now they have exposed the ermm 'squeeky clean' Libdem Secretary to the Treasury David Laws.
Laws has claimed fraudalently up to £40,000 pounds which he has now offered to repay..but of course only after he was caught with his proverbial pants down. And speaking of pants down..this money he paid, it is alleged, to his gay lover as he pretended to rent rooms when really he was living with said lover/landlord in a gay relationship.
So hasnt he deceived the public twofold...but hiding his homosexuality, and by claiming funds he shouldnt have claimed. The sum equates to an awful lot of money in most peoples eyes.
This is an extremely bad revelation for the new Coalition Government. It will embarass both Nick Clegg and David Cameron, as here we have one of their rising stars embroidered in a lingering sleaze of grand scale, the kind we thought we had put behind us.
There has been great play in jovial terms on what name we should apply to the new government..The Conlibs for example, but no, more appropriately some wag suggested the Condems...it might well be a truism that one.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
#3
All within the first 4weeks of power.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
#4
Why do these MP's think they can hide frauding the country, then deciding because they sare exposed that paying it back makes it all ok?
It doesn't, if it were you or I, we would be chucked in the slammer.
It just shows these cobbled together government is no better than others, I'm not realy bothered about his sexuality, but it's more concerning about the way he would have kept this fraud quiet had he not been exposed.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
#5
Keith, No Keith he has just come out
Unregistered User
#6
Perhaps this might be the real reason he would not/ was not allowed to appear on Question Time?
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
#7
Ah...hadnt thought of that one MRP, you may have hit the nail on the head there.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
#8
MRP
Exactly I was going to add that to my post but had to run No 1 son to work!! Methinks that Cameron knew of this story in advance and rather than let Laws appear on Telly and risk being exposed on QT by either Piers Morgan or Ally Campbell,he threw up a smoke screen to distract the REAL reason for Laws no show.
It stinks as does this government.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
#9
Keith, top post, agree 100% except this cannot be blamed on the new government.
Laws should be removed from office forthwith, not becasue he is having a gay releationship, that's his business, but for defrauding the British public of £40k plus.
#10
One of these days we will move on from expecting people to be flawless, accept that people are not infallible (I know, the Pope etc etc etc etc etc........!!!!!) and will make mistakes, do stupid stuff , and still be good at other things. It is perfectly possible - in fact it is perfectly normal - to be a human mixture of good and bad. What does stink is corporate corruption, when entire organisations band together to be horrible and currupt. That takes planning, effort, co-ordination and real manipulation.
#11
Corporations and organisations are people Bern.
#12
They work differently, Sid. Behaviours are different in groups, gangs, corp[orations and in isolation.
#13
Still people Marek; it cannot be denied, whatever the dynamic.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#14
looks like one of those rare times that all forumites are in agreement.
why has he not done the honourable thing and tendered his resignation?
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
#15
SID
Thats two things we agree on
(fraud and Dover afc) not connected lol.
I didnt blame this govt, I did actually say ALL GOVTS
goes back hundreds of years, just got worse.
Can't see how cameron can keep him there.
such a high flyer to.
wonder if he will go or be pushed
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
#16
Well! Holy Spitfires!
Guest 663- Registered: 20 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,136
#17
How many more hidden secrets will come out of the wardrobe watch this space thats all I can say.
Had David Laws gone on QT think they would have made mince meat of him i'm sure.
#18
I don't agree!! You all know (probably) how venomous I feel about the previous shower who robbed us blind. But in this case I am not so sure.....there are other factors at play here.
Alec Sheldon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,037
#19
The man is a self made millionaire as well. Why do they do these things, the more they get the more they want.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#20
alec
your post reminded me of an old morecambe and wise sketch.
a famous actress was deriding his latest literary work, he exclaimed i am a self made man.
the reply came back, it is good of you to take the blame.