MacKay asked to apologise but will he?

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'

Lobbying A Scandal?

Tim at Full Fact has wriiten an excellent article on Lobbying called 'A scandal unknown?'

He uses the Headlines;

A lucrative business
Access – parliamentary passes
Embedded in Parliament
In Defence of Lobbying
Proposed solutions
A Postscript

To break down the analysis of lobbying.

Tim himself explains his article best;

'Everyone who works in politics is aware of the presence and influence of lobbying. Indeed, having worked in both public affairs and parliament myself, I was struck by the historian David Starkey’s recent remark that the modern UK Parliament was little more than “lobby fodder”. The rise of the lobbying industry risks drowning out the voices of those that do not have the money, access or know how to make their voices heard.

Full Fact decided to look at possible areas where the next lobbying scandal could arise and spoke to experts on all sides of the lobbying debate. We looked at the registers of MPs and Lords commercial interests. We also studied the register of interests for parliamentary staff'.


Please do have a read as this very much feeds into the Andrew Mackay Lobbying articles on Bracknell blog Should Andrew Mackay work for a political lobbying firm?

My personal belief is that lobbying has always had the potential to be a scandal all the way down the political line.

Andrew Mackay and Julie Kirkbride's Appeals

Paul Waugh of the Evening Standard has an excellant Blog called 'Mackay and Kirkbride may not want Legg/Kennedy as referees' which I would like to direct my readers too.

As well as linking into Mark Reckons's blogpost about MP Andrew Mackay he finds a damaging verdict which was buried in Sir Paul Kennedy's ruling on their appeals (retired High Court judge).

As Paul Waugh writes (taken from his blog post)

Kirkbride

We learned from Sir Paul that she argued that hubby Mackay's "family" lived in our near her Bromsgrove constituency, "hence making it his natural home". As a result, he claimed ACA for their London home. Ms Kirkbride said that her own designation of London as her natural home stemmed from the fact that she was "based in London as the princpal carer" of her child.

Sir Paul was distinctly unimpressed with this line of argument. "I find it a little difficult to accept your suggestion," he wrote. His final judgment is more brutal:

"To my mind the fundamental reason why the arrangements which you made cannot be regarded as acceptable is that they lost sight of the purpose of ACA, which was to assist Members to fund the cost of accommodation when they needed a second home in order to fulfil their duties.

"It was never intended to relieve them of the costs of their main home, and you operated it in such a way that you achieved that result"

Mackay

Sir Paul says Mackay should have realised that the Fees Office was mistaken in approving his arrangements.

"It seems to me that the advice was plainly mistaken, and indeed that you should have recognised it to be mistaken.

"As I have said in my letter to your wife, the fundamental reason why the arrangements which you made cannot be regarded as acceptable is that they lost sight of the purpose of ACA, which was to assist Members to fund the cost of accommodation when they needed a second home in order to fulfil their duties.

"It was never intended to relieve them of the costs of their main home, and you operated it in such a way that you achieved that result".

I agree with Paul Waugh that this is truly devastating stuff. I also feel that the above is yet more proof that they continue to be in denial of any wrong doing and continue to get away with what every they can.

Should Andrew Mackay work for a political lobbying firm?

It has been reported that Andrew Mackay, Bracknell's current (and soon to be former) Conservative MP has accepted a position with political lobbying firm Burston-Marstellar.

The Times reports that:

The chief executive of BursonMarsteller is Matt Carter, who was Labour’s general secretary during the cash-for-honours affair. Mr Carter issued a press release on the appointment shortly after he was approached for a comment when The Times learnt that the lobbyists had been holding secret negotiations with the Tory MP.

The company said that it had announced the appointment in ad- vance “in the interests of transparency and so there can be perceived to be no conflict of interest in his current role as an MP”.

Mr MacKay, one of the casualties of the expenses scandal, is said to have negotiated a six-figure salary. “He’s been told to keep close to the Cameron team,” an insider said.

This is interesting because David Cameron in a speech only 3 days ago railed against lobbying of this kind. This is what he said:

"We all know how it works. The lunches, the hospitality, the quiet word in your ear, the ex-ministers and ex-advisers for hire, helping big business find the right way to get its way. In this party, we believe in competition, not cronyism.

"So we must be the party that sorts all this out. Today it is a £2bn industry that has a huge presence in parliament. The Hansard Society has estimated that some MPs are approached over 100 times a week by lobbyists.

"I believe that secret corporate lobbying, like the expenses scandal, goes to the heart of why people are so fed up with politics. It arouses people's worst fears and suspicions about how our political system works."

So Mr Mackay's reported move seems directly at odds with the direction his leader wants to take.

I thought it would be interesting to see what our readers think about this move and whether Mr Mackay is right to take on this role. I have put a poll in the sidebar at the top of the blog. It will run for a week and asks whether he should do it. The options are "Yes", "No" and "It's none of our business".

Please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below too.

MP Andrew Mackay gets a job

I am away on holiday but I have just picked up on this story, On Andrew Reeves Running Blog

Cameron declares war on lobbyists then top Tory Andrew Mackay MP accepts new job as a lobbyist

Please do read the link above

It appears MP Andrew Mackay, has admitted he will be joining Burson-Marsteller after considering a number of agencies when he stands down at the forthcoming general election.

Andrew Mackay MP for Bracknell has a Crime Registered Against Him

Goodbye Andrew Mackay have registered Andew Mackays second home payments as a crime see here.

After the news that Andrew Mackay has made a payment as per Sir Thomas Legg Report and after the news that three Labour MPs and one Tory peer will face criminal charges over their expenses.

I will follow this story closely to see if anything results from this. It will also be interesting to know if this has or is happening to any other MP's around the country?




Meanwhile....

In other news I note that Bracknell Green Party Blogger Green Gabbles has written an interesting blog on Phillip Lee Tory PPC called Phillip Lee To the Moon and Back here.

He makes some excellent points on safe seats and notes the questions I raised on Political Letters in the Press‏ and Alvin's rebuff of my blog here.

News Flash Andrew Mackay Repayment

Here is an extract from Sir Thomas Legg Report.

''Rt Hon Andrew Mackay MP
Bracknell
Mr Mackay is married to another MP. He designated his London flat as his second home, while his wife nominated it as her main home. He designated his constituency home as his main home while his wife nominated it as her second home. This meant that, between them, the couple had no main home which was not funded by the ACA. Throughout the five years of the review period, they both claimed at or close to the full allowance to support their two homes. These arrangements obtained a financial benefit for the couple which appears unintended under the Green Book rules, and as such contrary to the principles governing it. Had they made different
designations, each MP might reasonably have claimed up to two-thirds of the full allowance on a shared second home. On this footing, each of them was overpaid by one-third of the maximum ACA for each year of the review period. This is £29,243.

He was also paid £9,950 for cleaning over the four years 2004-05 to 2007-08, thus
exceeding the allowable maximum by a total of £1,950.'

Total repayment recommended: £31,193.00
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £31,193.00
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

So Andrew Mackay has made a payment, it is at the higher end of other MP's repayments. However many believe he should pay more (£170,000) see here

His wife, Julie Kirkbride, MP for Bromsgrove, has also been asked to pay back £29,243.

What I find amazing about this is that both MacKay and his wife have appealed against these claims, they failed. Does this not prove that they infact believe that their claim was not false?

The full report can be read here

Goodbye Andrew Mackay also reports here

David Cameron Direct in Reading

Last night I attended Cameron Direct with Mark Reckons who has done a blog on the event here.

I agree with Mark that it was good to see the possible future Prime Minister up close. David Cameron is an excellent performer live, this is his 157th Cameron Direct. Although there is a Blair feeling about him when you see him live. I can also see him doing very well in the leader debate.

What bothered me about this event was that it did have enough swing voters there. Infact most of the audience were those in politics (there were two Lib Dems sitting behind me and many members of the Reading Conservatives) or those from the volunteer sector who wanted to know that their sector would still be funded under the Conservatives. This was not a big room and the event was much smaller than I expected. I would guess that there was just over 100 people.

This was reflected in the questions, which were quite frankly too easy and not questions ordinary members of the public would of asked. Many questions were on the third sector and one was even on his video shoot with Carol Vorderman about improving numeracy. There was no questions on expenses, immigration, benefits, the EU, Gay Marriage. Some very hot topics just not covered. If the public don't ask then the politicians are not going to concern themselves as much with these subjects.

I didn't get to ask my question as we ran out of time and most people did have a question for David Cameron. I wanted to ask if Andrew Mackay will ever have to pay any funds back for the second home scandle and refer to the fact that I'm in a safe seat in Bracknell (unlike Reading East or West). Therefore what is the point in voting for the Tories or any other party if it's the Tories who will get in anyway. How can I express my vote for my dissatisfaction with the Andrew Mackay second home scandal. I wanted to know what he would of suggested.

Anyway in sum up I think he does mean well and is standing for the right reasons and I hope he does do a good job with or without a Hung Parliament.

Andrew Mackay’s 2nd Home Boiler and Redecoration Claim

Andrew Mackay’s MP 2008/2009 allowances/expenses have now been published, they make interesting reading.

Bracknell’s MP Andrew MacKay resigned as parliamentary adviser to David Cameron and is due to step down at the next general election. This is after the revelations that Andrew Mackay and his wife, fellow Tory MP for Bromsgrove, Julie Kirkbride (who may now stand again in an open primary).


Andrew Mackay claimed a second home allowance of £12,000 a year in mortgage interest for their joint flat near Westminster. This was while his wife used her expenses to pay off a similar loan for their family home in her Bromsgrove. This was over a period of eight years.

Click on the pictures above to view them.

Interestingly I noticed these payments for a claim of £6,000 for redecoration, made up of £3,400 for paint to stonework, cleaning railings and paint for woodwork which didn’t include scaffolding of an additional £2,600. A new boiler was also claimed for £2,600. All this on a home where the payments should have been paid back to the taxpayer.



Andrew Mackay’s MP 2008/2009 allowances/expenses can be viewed from the Parliamentary website here.

Why Are So Many MP's Not Replying To Letters

I have been in contract with a number of IT workers in pursuit of a developing story which I will report on later (needless to say it’s related to the Lloyds story here). There has been a concerted effort by a large number of IT contractors who have been sending letters and information off to MP's of all parties, I have also send a few emails to MP’s on their behalf myself.

I know that MP's can be famous for not replying and I can understand if it’s an issue that is already being dealt with or if you’re a constant pest. But I have been surprised by how many MP's do not reply at all.

No MEP's replied apart from a UKIP MEP who simply replied with a standard email from Nigel Farage which told the reader that his party does not have the money and is not as big as the other main parties and therefore could not examine the email and then went on to list the beliefs of the UKIP party. Do MEP’s not have any staff I wonder they get an allowance of €185k for staff.

Andrew Mackay (MP for one of the IT workers as well as my MP) did reply at first but it all went very quite after he decided to stand down after the second home scandal. So far Steve Webb MP of the Libdems has replied but only to pass the information on to John Thurso's MP on 20th October and I have not heard anything else. Even a reply to say the email was received would have been something. Perhaps they do not have enough staff again. However this sort of thing does make people believe that our politicians are simply un-contactable and I’m starting to agree. Luckily I can speak to MP's myself at conferences but this is not the case for the general public and I will have a long wait till the next conference.

So what’s wrong with the system? Is going to the surgery the only way to get hold of your MP? Perhaps. But I do wish others and myself could get some sort of reply, otherwise MP’s will continue to appear distant from their voters.

MEP allowances fact file from the times here

Goodbye Andrew Mackay confront Andrew MacKay MP

Campaign Group Goodbye Andrew Mackay confronted Andrew MacKay MP and demanded the signing of a giant cheque made out to “the taxpayer”. This happened as Andrew Mackay left a dinner held by the Bullbrook branch of the Bracknell Conservative Association on Saturday night.

The cheque demanding the payment of £170,000 which is the estimated amount owed for claiming a second home allowance on a property his wife Julie Kirkbride MP nominated as her first home.

After Sir Thomas Legg report Andrew Mackays leaving parashoot has already been reduced to £10,000 from £65,000The video taken by the Campaign Group Goodbye Andrew Mackay is shown below.



Julie Kirkbride MP looks set to restand in a Bromsgrove Open Primary see the Quaequam Blog here

Goodbye AndrewMackay also tried to attend the open primary see here

Julie Kirkbride MP Open Primary?

Conservative Home has a frankly amazing story on Julie Kirkbride (MP for Bromsgrove) who is Andrew Mackay Bracknell MP’s wife here.

Julie Kirkbride has told the Bromsgrove Conservatives she wishes to be their candidate at the general election after already stating that she would stand down. The rumour is that ‘David Cameron promised to try and save Julie Kirkbride's career at the time he forced her husband Andrew MacKay to step down’.

I had wondered why there had been no Open Primary/Caucus like here in Bracknell where Phillip Lee won the right to be the Conservative PPC.

Conservative Home states ‘CCHQ expects Bromsgrove Conservatives to hold an all-postal Open Primary to select their candidate for the general election and that Ms Kirkbride told her Executive that "if cleared by the Legg Inquiry" (whatever that means precisely), she would like to be considered as a candidate in such a process.’

I believe I am right in stating that if this happened it would be unprecedented turn of events. We will wait and see what Tory HQ decide to do.

Good Bye Andrew Mackay Web

This Saturday the Bracknell Conservative Association is holding an Open Primary. I think now is a good time to remind ourselves why.

It’s because our current MP, Andrew Mackay, claimed for a second home allowance for mortgage interest payments on a joint flat near Westminster. Meanwhile his wife, Julie Kirkbride, Tory MP for Bromsgrove, has used hers 2nd home allowance to pay off a similar amount on the loan for their family home in her constituency.

This meant that they were able to use public funds to pay for both homes as second homes for at least eight years, this was after the commons authorities agreed that Andrew Mackay could name the family home as his main residence and Julie Kirkbride could name the London flat as hers.

Im not questioning if Andrew Mackay was or wasn’t a good MP, I have seen plenty of people say he was a good MP and he was helping my brother out with an issue, which soon went quite after he decided to step down thereby triggering the Open Primary.

Anyway I would not be doing my job if I didn’t report on new websites effecting the Bracknell MP. So please do take a look at www.goodbyemackay.com/ This site also includes a petition which ask him to resign so that he doesn’t get a golden hand shake if he stays in office until a general election is called.

Andrew Mackay MP has a golden parachute

It has been reported here that Andrew Mackay MP will be paid a golden good-bye of £64,766 and his wife Julie Kirkbride a payment of £32,383. I am concerned that this news is likely to cause more anger directed at the couple.

After Mr Mackay’s statement that he will not stand at the next general election, he has received more support from his constituents as reflected in a poll on Bracknell Standard website. The question is asked: “How do you feel about Andrew MacKay's announcement to stand down as Bracknell MP at the next general election?”. A total of 51 % agreed with the following statement “Very sad, he is a very good MP and does not deserve this”. I feel this is a reflection on the work Andrew Mackay has done for Bracknell over his 26 years as MP and the relationship he has built over this time.

The fact that the golden good-bye can be paid could make it less likely for any MP to resign. A payment is only made when an MP loses their seat at a general election and not when they resign their seat for a by-election. This would make calling a by-election even braver.

MPs can vote to expel another MP if they are judged to have acted "dishonourably" but this would be unprecedented with the number of MPs who have already stated that they will stand down. Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg recently said: "I can see no reason why an MP who is sacked or decides to stand down should be rewarded with a big, tax-free, lump sum payment." Can and will this be changed in time? We shall see!

Andrew Mackay and Julie Kirkbride feel that they have been a part of a media witch hunt. There was huge media pressure on Julie Kirkbride but in Andrew Mackays case it would seem to me that his constituents meeting was where he felt the most pressure. The media have been provided the fuel, all due to the allowances and arrangements made by the couple.

What do we want? A By-election! When do we want it? Now!

Mr Andrew Mackay MP has decided to step down at the next general election. His decision came soon after the meeting with his constituents. After the meeting he still claimed that most constituents supported him on the night. The mood of the meeting was infact very angry and tense.

After this event, does this really mean that Mr Mackay can operate fully as a representative of Bracknell Constituents until the general election? Is this also in the best interest of the Conservative Party?

Without continuing support of both colleagues and constituents it will surely be hard for Mr Mackay to perform his parliamentary duties effectively. Surely a by-election would now offer a way of ensuring that the interests of the constituency will be properly represented.
Electors should be allowed to express their views through a by-election. This should be held as soon as possible.

Reaction to Andrew MacKay's meeting in Bracknell last night

Some of the writers on this blog were amongst the 400 or so constituents who attended the public meeting Andrew MacKay called last night.

During the meeting Mr MacKay stated his intention to put himself forward for reselection to his local party and that he wishes to stand again in Bracknell for the next General Election.

The feeling in the hall was very angry towards him and at least 80% of the comments were very negative towards him. There were many accusations put to him about his second homes claim and the ill feeling often spilled over into heckling and shouting with strong words used against him.

However on the media afterwards, Mr MacKay was trying to claim that the feeling of the meeting was with him and that 75% percent or more of the audience were with him. I am afraid that does not reflect the way I saw the meeting from where I was sitting. Watch this clip from BBC News where Mr MacKay is being interviewed by BBC South's Political Editor Peter Henley:

The gentlemen who interrupts Mr MacKay during the interview is absolutely right. He was misrepresenting the view of the meeting and another voice off camera later on points out that despite calls from the floor, the Chair of the meeting (David Osborn, the former Rector of Bracknell) refused to take a show of hands to gauge support towards the end.

In this piece from Sky News, Victoria Gatenby says that is is disingenuous for him to claim that he had the support of the meeting and that support is ebbing away from him, even amongst Conservative activists and that the feeling is he is unlikely to be reselected:

There has been further reaction to this story across the media and internet. Here are some that we have come across:

Here is the BBC News report on the meeting.

John Hicks from Radio Bracknell in a detailed and balanced review of the meeting thinks that the reaction within the hall may have signalled the beginning of the end for Bracknell's MP.

An article in the The Independent about the meeting and its aftermath quotes one of the comments from the floor that I also recall: "I have no wish to be represented by a thief".

This thread on the Conservative Home website (a site for Conservative grassroots activists) demonstrates the depth of Mr MacKay's problems. The majority the more than 40 comments at the end of the blog post are saying that he should stand down or be sacked.

Peter Henley, the BBC South Political Editor (who is an excellent and prodigious user of Twitter) tweeted this morning: "Tories saying MacKay is toast after last night. But spinning that Cameron wants to get in clean skins".

Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below. If you attended the meeting, perhaps you could detail your recollections of what happened.

UPDATE: I have also done a more detailed review of the meeting at my own blog "Mark Reckons" here.

We want your questions for Bracknell MP Andrew MacKay

Andrew MacKay who has been caught up in the scandal about MPs expenses primarily for him and his wife between them claiming for two second homes has called a public meeting in Bracknell this Friday 22nd May at 7:00pm at the Kerith Centre in Bracknell. It is a ticket only event and you need to call 01344 868286 or e-mail bracknellca@tory.org. The full details and map link are here.

We are interested in knowing what questions people would like asked or views you would like expressed during this meeting. Some of us who post on Bracknell Blog are attending the meeting. We have questions of our own but are also happy to try and put questions to him from people who cannot attend the meeting.

Please let us know in the comments below and we will do our best.

UPDATE: We now have a post reviewing the meeting and detailing reaction from the media and the internet here.

Andrew MacKay MP has Constituency Backing?

Andrew Mackay MP has been interview on Get Bracknell here. He stated that he has had 1 in 10 support from his Constituents via Email. He also states that he will individually phone those constituents that do not support him.

Get Bracknell website for the Bracknell Standard also has the following survey (16th May 09).
Should Andrew MacKay step down as Bracknell MP after he claimed unacceptable expenses?
Yes, he has lost the trust of his constituents 79%

No, he has done well for Bracknell over the past 25 years 13%

An investigation is needed before a decision can be made 8%


You can mail Andrew Mackay at bracknellca@tory.org to let him know your views.

Bracknell’s MP Andrew MacKay resigned today parliamentary adviser to David Cameron

It is a shame that the publics trust in our MPs has progressed to this low point, that MPs are now having to resign there roles within the parties because they have made ‘mistakes’.

I’m not sure how my MP Andrew Mackay could not of seen the wrong in claiming for a second home allowance while married to Tory MP for Bromsgrove, Julie Kirkbride who also claimed for a second home. However he didn’t appear to understand the wrong in this (See the Bracknell Standard article link here). I’m also not sure why it has taken the Tories so long to act, after all the Daily Mail reported this in April here. Lib Dem PPC for Bracknell Ray Earwicker also commented on this in April here.

Full details of the 2nd home claims can be found here.

Sometime next week Andrew Mackay will have a public meeting in Bracknell which while being brave to face the music, I believe it would be better to hold a by-election which I for one will be calling for. When the date is know we will publish it on this blog.



Local Blogger and fellow Andrew Mackay constituent, Mark Reckons also post his views at

http://markreckons.blogspot.com/2009/05/andrew-mackay-my-member-of-parliament.html

More links to this story can be found on Reading List at http://bythemuddybanksofthethames.blogspot.com/