Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards John Lyon has today has today said that "Mr Mackay's decision to claim that the property in Bromsgrove was his main home was a serious misjudgement which was sustained over more than 12 years." he also added, "Mr Mackay should have recognised that it was not right, or defensible, to come to an arrangement which he knew would mean that parliamentary allowances would be used to cover costs incurred on both his homes."
Mackay and his wife Julie Kirkbride (MP for Bromsgrove constituency) have paid back £29,243 each earlier this year after Mackay claimed £1,000 a month for their flat in Westminster and Julie Kirkbride who claimed £900 a month for their house in Bromsgrove. Meaning that the couple had no main home. i.e no home that they were not claiming against and paying for themselves.
The committee concluded that Mr MacKay should now apologise in writing and that if he had still been an MP, he would have been suspended and would have had to appologies to the house.
Andrew Mackay of course still believes that he has done nothing wrong. So I'm not expecting to see an apology. but If he does I will publish it in full on this blog.
Readers should be reminded that Andrew Mackay is now working for the lobbying division of the Burson-Marsteller and Julie Kirkbride is now working for lobbying company Tetra Strategy.
It's not right is it Andrew? Please can you apologies to the people of Bracknell and recognise that what you did was wrong!
If you need a reminder of the events leader to Andrew Mackay resignation then please have a read my blog here.
Todays link is to Get Bracknell which carries the above story 'Ex-MP Andrew MacKay told to apologise over expenses'
How dare you criticise Andrew Mackay after all he has done for the people of Bracknell. He is an honourable man and I'm sure that he didn't realise that his wife was already claiming the second home allowance. I can't see what all the fuss was about, it was only about £150,000 anyway.
ReplyDeleteIt is the ungrateful electorate that should be apologising to him for getting him hounded out of the job he loved so much.
Surely if he had done something wrong then he would not have got that "golden parachute" payment and an enormous pension. I for one am glad that my taxes have been so well spent.
Are u joking? He wasn't a bad MP. But what Mackay did was wrong. And I'm reporting the findings. He still got his payment because that is not effect by this commission and he had already stepped down.
ReplyDeleteDarren, I think the comment is meant to be funny and taking the Tory line to undermine it.
ReplyDeleteOK its kinda hard to tell
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