Galloway's expenses to be exposed?

[faceless]

MPs in court fight to keep expenses secret
Nicholas Cecil, Political Correspondent
www.thisislondon.co.uk
25.03.08

Michael Martin this afternoon launched a legal bid to block an order to reveal details of senior MPs' expenses. The move by the Speaker of the House of Commons is expected to cost the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds. It comes after a three-year battle to force the Commons authorities to publish details of how prominent MPs use public funds for second homes.

A special tribunal had ordered the Commons Commission to make public how 15 current or former MPs, including Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Sir Menzies Campbell and George Galloway, spent allowances to finance their lifestyle. But the commission, chaired by Mr Martin, was today seeking to appeal in the High Court against the ruling to avoid having to reveal MPs' second home addresses. The legal challenge was condemned by campaigners, given that more than £52,000 has already been spent by the Commons authorities seeking to keep secret details of MPs' travel and second home claims.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "The MPs are just putting off the inevitable and in the process they are wasting thousands of pounds." An information tribunal had concluded that MPs' addresses should be published except if there were security grounds such as a stalker or a terrorist or criminal threat. But the commission claimed that publishing addresses could put MPs at risk and even "inhibit democratic debate" on a range of sensitive issues.

Mr Martin had sought the advice of the security services because of the "great concern" among MPs about the release of their second home addresses. His spokesman said: "The threats that MPs can face are unpredictable and subject to change. Having received advice he's concerned that the information tribunal may have misdirected itself in law in deciding that home addresses of MPs should always be published subject only to limited exceptions."

The Commons Commission also considers that the tribunal gave " insufficient attention to the reasonable expectations" of the MPs concerned. They also include former deputy prime minister John Prescott, shadow foreign secretary William Hague, shadow chancellor George Osborne, former foreign secretary Margaret Beckett, Lib-Dem MP Mark Oaten, Peter Mandelson, Labour MPs Barbara Follett, Ann Keen and Alan Keen and former Tory MP John Wilkinson.

Mr Cameron said yesterday that he had no problem with the details of his claims being released. The information tribunal, which arbitrates on freedom of information disputes, dismissed the Commons' arguments last month that publication would be an invasion of MPs' privacy. It gave the Commons 28 days to release the details of how the MPs use their £ 23,000- a- year additional costs allowance. MPs can claim up to £10,000 for a kitchen, £6,000 for a bathroom and £750 for stereos and televisions, as well as dozens of other household items, according to the recently released "John Lewis list".

Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker, who has campaigned for greater transparency on MPs' expenses, said: "The Commons authorities could adhere to the rest of the judgment but not publish the addresses and see what happens."

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I'm sure that Galloway might have a few problems if his address was published - there's certainly enough nutters out there for one to take it on himself. Thinking back to the incident at Glasgow Airport last year where he was jostled and the comments that drew from some of the less genetically advanced members of the public suggests so anyway...

I don't think any of the other information should be kept private though.

[Mandy]

George has always stood for public access to expenses, so there isn't any issue there.

You are right that the address issue is a major concern. Parliament is dragging its feet .. it could easily have published the info without the address, and the matter would probably have been settled there and then. they are using the address issue as an excuse to delay. I wonder what info is in there.

[nekokate]

When George was writing I'm Not The Only One at his Portugal home, someone broke in and stole not only the manuscript but the entire massive wooden desk he was writing it on, forcing him to relocate to Beirut to finish the book. I think it would be very dangerous to have his address made public, although I'm sure anyone could get hold of it if they really wanted it, anyway.

[faceless]

Galloway slams secrecy veil over MPs expenses
26 March 2008

MP George Galloway is backing calls to remove the cloak of secrecy over Parliamentary expenses. His comments come after a last-ditch bid by MPs to block details being published over their second homes.

The Bethnal Green & Bow MP said: "The public has every right to know how its money is being spent. That's why I wrote to the Commons' authorities two months ago to say that legal action to preserve the secrecy over expenses should not take place in my name. The Commons' authorities duly took note."

He added: "It so happens I don't draw the allowance that is now notorious for the purchase of goods from the so-called 'John Lewis' list. There can be legitimate expenses to serve constituents, but £750 of public money to buy a telly cannot possibly be one of them."

MPs must be fully accountable for their finances, Galloway insists, if Parliament wants to regain its standing in the public eye.

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