Alan Reid claimed more than £1,500 on his parliamentary expenses for staying inThese were hardly just up the road from Cardross. Nor when taking in the island nature, CalMac timetabling, weather rescheduling at standard of roads in much of the outlying reaches of Argyll and Bute.
hotels and bed-and-breakfasts near his home.
There has been growing outrage over MPs making outrageous claims. But not call for Martin Beckford (pictured left) to apologise or dare I say it resign for the inaccuracies and misleadings of his article. I for one think he should and am wondering why none of the letters that I'm sure have been sent along with mine complaining about this have been published in the Telegraph.Michael Beckford what say you?
Update: A quick bit of research, almost as quick as looking up the Wikipedia constituency map, shows that Martin Beckford is social and religious affairs correspondent for The Daily Telegraph. He's not really a political mover and therefore may have little knowledge of the working of constituency politics.
Therefore I call on Benedict Brogan (right) the Chief Political correspondent on the Telegraph who must have overall editorial control over the revelations over the last week to answer some questions.
- Did he have final editorial say in what went into the 6 pages per day coverage in the Telegraph?
- Did he look at each of the articles to see if there was justification to call the MP to account?
- As he failed to answer last night on BBC's Question Time how exactly did he come to have in his procession what are stolen goods? And has he handed details of his source to the police who are investigating their theft?
- Does he have nay idea how beautiful, vast and awkward to get to bits of the Argyll and Bute constituency actually are? Or do any of the 25 members of staff he claims on these stories have such knowledge?
- Why wasn't such knowledge either used or checked before publication?
- Why is there still no apology, no retraction or no other action over these spurious claims?
4 comments:
Sephen
Dont shoot the messenger.
Ok ,I belive you Alan Rid has unfairly got it in the neck. But he can, as you have. plausibly explin his £1,500. Voters aint stupid.
But what of that Cornwall MP of yours that has got the taxpayer to pay for his daughter's London flat? - ive heard his explanation, about as plausible as a sketch from Little Britain
And loads more, mostly labour abd lots of Tories too. I think folks can see, your Cornish guy aside , and a few extravagant ( if in cash terms small) claims by Ming, the Lib MPs are ok,. Tavish though in big trouble - his property scam to fund his divorce aint working out as planned. But dont let him spoil your otherwise good Lib Dem story, Clegg has been even more decisive than Cameron - too decisive for Tavish!
And of course you supported full discosure FOI etc
But Telegrapgh journos to resign?You have lost the plot here. They should, and will, win awards.
But maybe not in Argyll!
Well Brogan last night was claiming a moral high ground on Question Time. It is his reponsibility that the political content of the Telegraph is accurate, not hysterically reaching hyberbole.
I actually agree with you regarinf Tavish. All he had to say was that no Lib Dem MSP would profit from the ESA and end off. I was very upset by his response "Ask the Westminster MPs" as he rushed past through the news corps yesterday. Very poor show.
I'm intending to blog about that point later.
Stephen
I am trying to not moralise on al of this...But..... Some people are just toffs, out of touch a bit - like Ming and Eltihbth, who i admire loads But they are...from the other side. As are the Douglas Hoggs and their moats.
I dont condone them, but i recognise where they are coming from
I really is the, mostly labour guys of orginally modest means I have utter conmtempt for. Because they musyt know want, must know the at times extreme poverty of the folks they claim to represent, And they must also kow They are privillaged being an MP, having that £60l salary plus legitimate perks And with this, the abilty to have a nice lifestyle, nice home, probably many times better than the one they grew up in. But still they want more, loads more, in som cases so much more that they wil break even the most generous of rules they are guided by.
I too saw Question Time last night, and whily Benedict Brogan was occassiona;lly a bit smug - dot look at what he was talking on ...1, 2, 3 really seniour figures all three of who were visibly and audibly totally out of touch. It was left to the audience and that really astute businessman on the panel to speak for us, me . And that Scottish guy in the audience - made me proud , especially when he took on Beckett, told he not to patronise him
Beckett - the absolute pits. For exposing her alone they deserve a medal., And if you ainty caught the detail yet check out Balls and Cooper, breaking today. Aside from being Grade 1 personal pals of Brown ( significant I think) I do ask meyslef what is it that has motiveated these two clearly bright and blessed people, younger than me, with an officail combined salary of over £300k to still try and cheat the system, Flip, Fip , Flip - AND claim over £500 a month for food! Yet they know , will now personally and statistically that this sum could feed a typical entire family they represent for three month. An african family for the rest of their lives. But stilll they claim.
And still they rule. Run our Schools , educate our children, set their valuies. And tax me, , quiz me, interrogate my finances, fine me if I dont pay up etc
We do need a revolution. And here you are right - the Telegraph aint going to lead it. Or Tavish, or Eck....but who?
PS I know Alan Reid from my Paisley days. Even without your explanation I instictively know Alan would not rip off anyone. I do think folks in Argyll will see this for what it ius - a stupid city guy , out of touch with rural realities
I went to school with Alan and I know that a Prestwick High man would not cheat on his expenses, even if he is a LibDem.
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