To quote Guido -
The holier than now Liberals are attempting to drag candidates into the expenses scandal before they are even MPs. Doing it covertly through personal email addresses even though an FOI request is an FOI request wherever it comes from.
Cowley Street better hope CCHQ don’t retaliate with some FOI requests concerning their PPCs and intriguing leaflet printing financing.
Well you know what. I think it's rather good that Councillors expenses are being investigated (all Councillors). I'd rather like them to all be available on-line for all to see. If the Lib-Dems are doing this, maybe a few dodgy Tory candidates will be weeded out. I'd be quite happy to see the Tories do the same to Lib Dems (or Labour) Councillors if they've been fiddling their expenses. I may have got this wrong, but it seems to me that Guido's post is some sort of veiled threat "Don't poke around our expenses and we won't poke around your leaflet printing financing". If that is Guido's intention, I think he's losing the plot. Letting dodgy politicians get away with fiddling, dodgy accounting or anything else which involves public money is despicable. If Guido thinks it's OK, then he has lost all credibility as an independent blogger.
I wonder if the Lib Dems have posted one of these requests for the Hendon Conservative PPC and the Finchley and Golders Green Conservative PPC, who are both Barnet Councillors, for the last 4 years expenses. I sincerely hope so. If nothing comes up, then that would reassure everyone very much and we'd all be very happy. I'd happily post the info here, whatever the result.
5 comments:
Rog
On 19th May 2009, I submitted an FOI request to Barnet Council for details of expenses claimed by all Barnet councillors. FOI requests should be answered within 20 working days. I am still waiting. I am sure your readers will have their own opinion as to the reason for the delay.
David,
Are you sure you are not a Lib Dem?
:^)
Cheers
Rog
Typical of the LibDems to pinch Tory ideas!
David is one of the arch Cameroonians in Barnet. One of the few Conservatives committed to lower taxes, spending and real openness in Local Government, just as Margaret Thatcher was (indeed it was the content of her maiden speech).
Too many at the Town Hall from all parties, have gone 'native', probably drunk on their expenses.
Rog are you sure you are a LibDem? As I've not seen a Focus leaflet, ever, in these parts talking about cutting expenses and allowances....
Dan,
You are quite right about the Focus leaflets not saying anything about expenses. That is most certainly something we should be talking about and putting in there. Thanks for reminding me.
I've been involved in editing the most recent versions for Mill Hill and the topics come so thick and fast with the local Tories being so useless that it's hard to fit it all in.
A comment was made to me today saying "It's Ok for people like you to be in opposition, if you were in power it would be much harder". I disagree, it would be great, because there are some really easy quick wins to be had if you've got cojones and are prepared to work hard, stick to your belief and argue.
I'm sure that as a former councillor, you know this to be true. I suspect that if the local Tories actually read their own manifesto for the last two elections, they may get a few ideas.
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