MP paying his son

[Emu2005]

I've heard that a conservative MP has been found to paying his son out of his staff budget while he was at uni (and clearly not working). He paid him �45k for 17 hours a week and has been forced to pay some of it back, and there is a possibility he will be suspended for 10 days. I find this completely ridiculous, surely:
* He should be forced to pay back ALL the money
* Even if he was working, would a full time salary of �90k, �45k or �30k (depending how many years it was over) really be the right salary for a non qualified teenager?
* he should get sacked completely for abusing his position in such a way?
Shouldn't MPs want to help their residents and the country, not just use their position to fund their family? It makes me sick. Surely there are enough peoplein this country who are able to make a difference and who actually care rather than just want the money who could run it?

[milliezoe]

I agree wholeheartedly with you IE Peter Hain he is still an MP and drawing his salary if MPs are caught fiddling they should be kicked out of there job as would you or I remember this when they come asking for your vote at the next election its time that we !!!!!!!!!!!!! told MPs how to behave but unfortunately it will never happen people have short memories !!!!!!!!!

[Doc Spock]

They are all at it from all parties.

A real bunch of rogues.


One the other week was paying his wife.

[Loosehead]

His "salary" was �13k. I agree it was out of order, but get the figures right.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7214573 .stm

[4GS]

Got a link to that story?

[4GS]

Got it:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles /news/news.html?in_article_id=510963&in_page_i d=1770

[Gromit]

MP have an allowance of �80,000 to spend on staff, and there is no law to say they cannot employ members of their own family.

That said, there is no evidence that his son did any work and the parliamentary watchdog say he did no work for his salary.

In, short, this is theft from the public purse perpetrated by an MP. The Conservative party are standing by him, (so Camerons' waffle about Labour sleaze is just bluster then) he should be de-selected by his party, and think himself lucky that a criminal investigation has not been pursued.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jse ssionid=50E4IWKVJ2LNRQFIQMFCFGGAVCBQYIV0?xml=/ news/2008/01/29/nconway329.xml

[vehelpfulguy]

In any other walk of life he would be sacked as this is fraud.

MPs expenses are not checked or auditied and they do not have to justify with receipts ANY of the expenses they claim.

What does this MP get, 10 days ban from the house (wow) and he has to say sorry to the house.

These guys are living on a different planet.

[Emu2005]

Loosehead: I was just quoting what I remembered from hearing on the radio, you're right I should have got it right.

The �13k you quote is what he was asked to pay back, NOT what his salary was.

Over 3 years, his salary was �11,773 for 18 hours of work a week, plus 4 bonuses of �10k each. So for 3 years working half time, he was paid about �70k, i.e. �23k per year, full time equivalent being �46k. Do you know anyone who earns this who is not qualified, is under 20, for 'helping with computer work and helping his father understand London issues'???

It really makes me sick that he has basically managed to get away with this!

[kwicky]

MPs join the house for different reasons nowadays. In days gone by they were only involved in sexual scandals, for which they usually resigned. Now they are paid 10 times as much (includes expenses) and offer so little in return.

[MatydaLover]

Do any people who own companies ever "employ" their family members ... even if they do no work? I suspect that whatever else he may be, this MP is not alone. He's cheating the public purse, others are cheating their customers.

[jno]

so does your MP do nothing at all, kwicky? Do you actually know what he/she does?

[Gromit]

Let us not forget that in 1996 under a Tory government and when the Commons was full of tories, MPs voted themselves a 26%t pay rise!

[Emu2005]

Matyda: a man who owns and runs his own company who pays his wife a small salary for the occasional work she does as a a way of 'avoiding' (not evading) tax cannot compare with a man who has basically given his son �70k of tax payer's money.

I hope that perhaps now this has come out anyone else doing the same will think twice.

[Kanewood]

According to my paper, his elder son, Henry, received more than �32,000 in allowances and bonuses between 2001 and 2004. It states he is effectively putting his sons through university using taxpayers' money.

The elder son's details had not come to light because there was no official complaint. A fresh inquiry will be made if a member of the public complains.

He also gives his wife �3,271 a month as a registered parliamentary assistant.

Money for old rope and we're paying for it!

[MatydaLover]

It's a relief to know that no-one puts his wife on the payroll unless it is a small amount for occasional work.

[Emu2005]

OK so obviously that's not in all cases, but my point is if someone does do this and 'cheats his customers' as you put it, you don't HAVE to be a customer there, and even so he is just reducing the profit the shareholder's will make.

If it is a big company I doubt any employee could get away witth this as it would have to be justified to the board. And if it's his own company, he's reducing hiw own profits. Hardly the same as giving your kids tax payers money is it.

[Gromit]

Tory Derek Conway paid �260,000 to family

"Derek Conway, the senior Conservative MP under fire for making improper payments to his teenage son, has handed more than �260,000 to members of his immediate family since being re-elected to Parliament in 2001."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jse ssionid=WREPUWS20135HQFIQMGCFFWAVCBQUIV0?xml=/ news/2008/01/29/nconway429.xml

[kempie]

He has now been deselected.

Gromit - if you are a fan of random historical facts you may be interested to know that when Labour took power in 1964, Prime Minister Harold Wilson endorsed, and MPs accepted, an increase in pay of 85.7%.

[Gromit]

This morning...

"However, a Conservative party spokesman confirmed that he would keep the whip, saying: "Derek Conway has apologised fully on the floor of the House. The appropriate punishment is being administered."

This afternoon...

"David Cameron, the Conservative leader who had stood by Mr Conway, said he had personally decided to withdraw the whip"

Another rapid Cameron U-turn. Who makes tory policy, the leader or the newspapers?

He has had the whip removed. He has not been deselected.

[Gromit]

kempie

An independent review of MPs wages by the Lawrence committee was set up by Tory PM Harold Macmillan in 1963.

The tories lost power, and the Lawrence Committee's first recommendations were accepted by Parliament in 1964, increasing the Parliamentary Salary from �1,500 to �3,250.