Prepare yourself for a new MP expenses story; this time about Dennis Bates, an accountant who is married to Labour MP Meg Munn (pictured).
The Telegraph is set to publish a story querying why several MPs used his services; they include John Healey, Gillian Merron, Jim Knight and one of the Angela Smiths.
Their excuse – which seems reasonable enough – is that Bates worked for 12 years at the Inland Revenue as a specialist in the tax affairs of small businesses. Thus he was eminently qualified.
What will be interesting is to know whether his advice was obtained in relation to office costs (as is clearly permitted in the Parliamentary Green Book) or for personal tax advice (which is more of a grey area).
BTW
If you haven’t caught up on today’s news about the Wintertons (both) resigning at the next election there is more here. They insist their resignation is to spend more time with their family and nothing to do with their controversial expense claims (which earned them a ticking off last year).
Jim Pickard
Kiran Stacey