Jun 2009 01

Private prosecution gets into gear23

One week on from the initial announcement that we have teamed up with the Daily Mail to bring a private prosecution against any MPs who may have broken the law in their expenses claims, I thought it was a good opportunity to give you an update on our progress. As you will recall, we initially called for the Police and the Crown Prosecution Service to investigate several MPs and to bring proceedings through the normal channels – only if they failed or refused to do so would we bring a private prosecution. To that end, I wrote to both the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service last week to ask for clarification as to whether they are currently engaged in an investigation or not. In order to make sure that they didn’t drag their feet or leave the question hanging, we set a deadline – they were asked to confirm one way or the other by 4pm on Friday 29th May. This is such an important case – and there should be such a solid paper trail available at the Parliamentary Fees Office – that we had to make sure there was no dithering or delaying.

Sadly, the letter I have received at the end of last week from Acting Commander Nigel Mawer at the Met’s Economic and Specialist Crime Unit is far from encouraging. All he is willing to say is that “these important matters are being considered by a joint police and Crown Prosecution Service panel and in due course where appropriate, public statements will be made.”

So, in plain English, they are still just considering whether they might perhaps start an investigation – despite our initial complaint being submitted over two weeks ago, and despite the clearly pressing nature of the case. This is very disappointing, and means we are forced to commence gathering evidence for a private prosecution. Our lawyers will now write to several MPs whose behaviour is of particular concern, inviting them to come for interview with our legal representatives. One way or another any MP who has broken the law must be brought to justice, and we would urge the police and the CPS to launch an official investigation with the utmost speed. If the official authorities won’t do so, then we will.

As a reminder, if you would like to donate to the private prosecution fund, click here. If you would like to sign up to the TaxPayers’ Alliance to join campaign and get regular updates about our progress, click here.

Related Posts

  • Frank

    Darling and others FRAUD or uneven playing field– Accountancy fees and Stamp Duty
    Accountancy fees- most taxpayers suffer this out of taxed income. Disingenuous for MPs to say they have paid 40% tax on the benefit. Few higher rate taxpayers get this option, indeed it would be part of an overall pay package and NOT an addition to it.
    MPS should repay the the full 100% for transparency!!
    Stamp duty and legal fees on house changes- most people are compelled to add this to their mortgage borrowing!THety can not finance this huge outgoing from taxed savings! Why should Alistair Darling and other MPs get a revenue reimbursement for what is in reality a capital expense?
    Where this money was reimbursed did the same treatment follow through to the CAPITAL GAINS calculation when a taxable property was sold- namely the STAMP Duty and other costs were NOT treated as part of base cost of selling the house?
    WHo is doing a forensic audit at the House of Commons to pick up on these doubtful claims?
    What input is the TPA and perhaps the Daily Telegraph being asked to make in framing the audit work given your knowledge of the issues?
    I would like to see the depth and extent of the questions and reviews the auditors are undertaking- TRANSPARENCY is the order of the day. The Auditors Questions should be justifiably Skeptical!

  • Gaz H ampton

    I did the maths on MPs saleries and exspences for 07 – 08
    Hear we go hold on to your hats folks
    Total for 1 year – for our 640 upstanding honest uncorruptable politicians
    1 Billion 400 million of our pounds
    Me thinks this is to musch of our money
    comments welcome

  • http://www.thelatebreakfast.co.uk Kevin

    Yes its way too much. But this is the tip of the ice berg. What about all the back hand deals with companies. Plus local councilors are going to be way more greedy than this lot in Westminster. Also what about all these stupid quango departments that are just sponge magnets for tax funding.
    If you toted everything up, I bet the figure would be more like 10 Billion pounds per year or more of our tax money wasted. Imagine the production and wealth that would be created if we put a stop to such theft.

  • Gaz H ampton

    Did’nt look at the bigger picture Kevin (due to total outrage at what thses thieves are doing to our nation) but like you say this theft must be stopped

  • Anthony Weaver

    There is no legal requirement to involve either the Police or CPS in bringing a private prosecution. An information can be laid at any Magistrates’ Court and a summons requested. My own application for a summons against Jacqui Smith,under Section 2 (1) of the Fraud Act 2006 will be heard at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court at 9.45 on Friday June 26th. If the District Judge dares to mention the Metropolitan Police or CPS, I shall be able to quote your own experience as proof that they are both a dead-end! May I urge members of TPA to come along and support me on 26th June. The only “gear” I want to get into is to get that summons !

  • Darren Waters

    I inadvertently filled out my tax return incorrectly 9 years ago and had to repay unpaid tax + interest. The interest bill was £1,000.
    It was a genuine oversight on my part and I appealed against the interest which was reduced to £900, but I still had to pay it.
    Are our MP’s going to be asked to do the same? It is public money after all.

  • Daz Northants

    If the police fail to investigate a crime (or several in this case of expenses) is this not a case for the IPPC to investigate?

  • Angry Lady

    I would like to see Tony Blair’s and John Prescott’s expenses investigated in full. I understand that Blair’s expenses were “inadvertently shredded” but I’m sure that there would (or should) be two copies of these. There should be one copy held by the fees office (who paid them) and one copy help by Blair’s office (who submitted them). I absolutely refuse to believe that there is no record of what he has been paid.
    John Prescott bleats that he hasn’t broken any rules but it is a fact that he has claimed the absolute maximum (for food and other items) he can under “the rules”.
    In a law case, you have a legal duty to “mitigate your losses”. This means that you may not do anythng which will increase (let alone maximise) your claim. How is this fat snurd able to get away with maximising his expenses?

  • Cynthia Godfrey

    I cannot see the difference between benefit fraud where the claimants are taken to court by the DSS and how our MPs have behaved. All this prevarication by some of them is just trying to cloud and delay the issue. It is sad also for those MPs who have behaved honorably who are being tarnished with the same brush.
    Tony Blair should most definitely be investigated and as someone has already said even if documents have been shredded there must be other records which the public is being denied access.

  • R Clarke

    Flipping Theft,Flipping Fraud,Flipping Dodgy
    Flipping Deception, Flipping Dishonorable,
    Flipping Dishonest, Flipping Corruption,
    Flipping Good they Got Caught at long Last,
    Where is the Flipping Fraud Sqaud and CPS ??

  • John Preston

    Totnes MP A Steen sued the Western Morning News and won substancial damages when they critisised his use of paid transport ( I think)but now have a look at his claims:as an example for gardening including 6 tons of top soil at £ 3grand or so. This is beyond belief. How can these grubby people be allowed to get away with this?

  • alan bromhead and eileen pohl

    i was pleased when reading the comments that
    jaqci smith is being sued by anthony weaver,and iagree with cynthia godfrey when
    she says there is no difference between benefit fraud and the fraud commited by our
    mps they should also be brought to book,
    their greed knows no bounds,and we hope they
    pay dearly for it,after all the law is for
    everyone to bide by not just the chosen few.
    good luck to tpa and all who seek justice.

  • John Thorburn

    All the MPs must be guilty, as they did so knowingly & willingly agreed by vote in the HoC to be party to frauds and fiddles, that the so called green book is no defence in law, of there wrong doings etc,
    posted by: john thorburn

  • alan bromhead and eileen pohl

    after reading some mps expences,and browns
    promise of transparency,we still cant read
    all of them for all the deletions,by this
    they have shown their contempt for us and
    how stupid they really think we are,do they
    think we can be apeased by their futile
    attempt to cover up their greed.our so called pm promised transparency but like all
    his promises this amounted to nothing,its
    about time our mps stopped insulting our
    intelligence and realised that some of the
    public are more intelligent than some of them,and stopped treating us as idiots.

  • john roberts

    How much have these swine cost us over the past years.my miserable state pension gets taxed at 20%

  • sharon

    michael foster is our mp for worcester. on the 19 june on website it showed worcester city council on michael fosters expenses claims.looking at the website today i have noticed that worcester city council has been blacked out for council tax expenses,did anyone else notice this? michael foster has his second home in london,and should only be claiming for expenses on his london home.his office expenses in oct 2007 shows that he billed the tax payer £35.00 for data protection what on earth does this mean?

  • sharon

    michael foster mp for worcester also billed the tax payer for council tax in the months of february and march,in this area we do not pay council tax in these months.in december and january 2005/2006 he did not claim council tax relief,instead he billed the tax payer £11,000.00 plus for legal,stamp duty,survey and removal costs.

  • Jo Stephens

    When I first heard of this, as a retired Police officer I thought like everybody else, why has nothing been done ? An answer is that IF they did, there would be so many with so many other people involved, wives, friends, etc., what of those that helped with the fraudulent form filling,false accounting, destruction of evidence, conspiracy, IGNORANCE IS NO EXCUSE under the law.
    The system could not cope, too many at court. These later days I have noticed ‘a few’ are to be investigated. Why a few, ALL and then no evidence at court, get them locked up, their DNA, fingerprints taken and kept on file for ever, they’ll soon change that law….
    Get them locked up on suspicion, some will start talking and when one does….. The efforts that went into trying to stop all this coming out, THEY KNEW full well what they had done, they have been caught, I HAVE HEARD ALL the excuses BEFORE, the ones that told me it still ended up in court.
    J Stephens, Sheffield.

  • sharon

    just looked at tony blairs expenses and have noticed that he was still claiming expenses after he stood down has a mp in june 2007.

  • C Baker

    Ed Balls claimed for 2 pkts of hoover bags for his Henry Vac. Everybody else has to buy their own. He or Yvette should get on their hands and knees and sweep up like some poor folk still have to do because they cannot afford a vacuum cleaner

  • Chris Maltby

    Well done TPA! keep up the good work, the whole country is behind you!
    Lets get these criminals into courts & prosecuted!
    donation on its way!

  • ANON.

    ONE SHOULD CARRY OUT PROSECUTIONS FOR THE LIES AND ILLEGAL INVASION OF IRAQ BY THESE CLOSET NEO ZIONIST CRIMINALS. BLAIR, STRAW ETC

  • http://profile.typepad.com/6p0120a624b91c970b mac

    We should carry out a private prosecution on tax inspector who knowingly pervert the coures of justice so we pay tax that is not owed