THE Prime Minister is facing calls to suspend the whip from a minister while claims he used his taxpayer-funded constituency office to campaign for the Conservative Party are reviewed.
Pensions minister Paul Maynard has been referred to an investigator by the Parliamentary expenses watchdog over reports he charged taxpayers when producing political materials.
The story, which was first reported by The Sunday Times, said the Blackpool North and Cleveleys MP claimed rent for an office that doubles up as his local Tory association’s headquarters.
The Liberal Democrats have urged Rishi Sunak (below) to suspend the Tory whip from Maynard while “these extremely serious allegations are investigated” while Labour have said that the allegations “must be thoroughly investigated”.
Maynard had told an activist in his local Tory constituency party that it “made no sense” to create a separate office for political activity and would not be a “good use” of party funds, according to The Sunday Times.
Since his election in 2010, Maynard — who was made a minister in the Department for Work and Pensions in November by Sunak — has spent £106,000 on printing and related costs, a bill that is higher than any Tory MP on record, according to analysis by the newspaper.
The local party officer told the newspaper she became concerned when discovering that the constituency association did not have a return address, before later being invited to a local party meeting held at Maynard’s office.
According to the report, the owners of the office charge rent of £8220 annually, granting Maynard use of an office and boardroom.
He is said to have submitted invoices to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), the expenses watchdog, which then pays the rent.
READ MORE: Could Reform UK cause extinction of Scottish Tories?
Donors wanting to give money to the local party had to deposit money in Maynard’s own bank account or that of his chief of staff, the report states.
IPSA, the watchdog established after the 2009 MPs’ expenses scandal, states that all claims submitted by lawmakers must follow four principles, with one of them being that they can “only claim for expenditure for parliamentary purposes”.
They must also adhere to the MPs’ Code of Conduct, including the seven principles of public life – which include openness and honesty.
An IPSA spokesperson said: “We will be referring this matter to IPSA’s compliance officer.”
IPSA said it would be up to the compliance officer to establish the facts of the case before deciding whether to conduct an investigation into the claims.
The watchdog said MPs can use their offices for party political purposes as long as it is part of a pre-agreed sub-letting agreement.
In a statement issued to The Sunday Times, Maynard said there were “financial agreements in place with IPSA over the ad-hoc use of my constituency office by the local Conservative Association”.
He told the newspaper: “I believe that these arrangements are appropriate, but will be seeking clarification from IPSA to ensure this is the case.
READ MORE: Unionist call for General Election to be used to ‘end devolution’
“I will, of course, abide by any findings they make and ensure that any payments deemed necessary can be made promptly.”
Sunak is already facing a potential by-election contest in Blackpool after an MP was caught in a lobbying sting.
Blackpool South MP Scott Benton was caught by The Times offering to lobby ministers and table parliamentary questions on behalf of gambling investors.
Benton (above) has said he will appeal against a recommended 35-day suspension made by the Commons Standards Committee.
If the Commons backs the punishment, it could leave the former Tory MP – who was stripped of the whip after the allegations surfaced – facing a by-election.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel