Greg Hurst and Adam Fresco
We've made some changes
to The Sunday Times
Derek Conway, the disgraced Conservative MP, is to escape a criminal investigation into his misuse of Commons expenses, police have confirmed.
Despite the wish of Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, to launch an inquiry the Crown Prosecution Service’s advice was that an investigation was impractical.
They blamed the “lack of systems” put in place by the Commons for monitoring the payment of MPs’ allowances, in a move that is likely to intensify pressure for reforms to rules for MPs’ expenses.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: “The CPS advised us today that they are of the view that the lack of systems in this case to account for MPs expenses would severely undermine the viability of any criminal investigation leading to a prosecution. In these circumstances we do not believe that it is appropriate for a police investigation to be instigated.”
The decision follows an unusual stand-off in which Sir Ian voiced his frustration last month at the reluctance of the House of Commons authorities to refer the case to his force.
He accused John Lyon, the parliamentary commissioner for standards who investigates complains against MPs, of ignoring a protocol under which police were called in to take up the most serious cases, and revealed that he had written to Mr Lyon asking for such a referral in Mr Conway’s case.
Mr Lyon’s office insisted he had followed the established procedure under which he and Sir George Young, the Conservative MP who chairs the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee, did consider whether to report Mr Conway to police but decided against doing so.
Police received a formal response from Mr Lyon last week, in which he appears to have insisted that the allegations were already investigated by him and put before the Standards and Privileges Commons, who recommended their own sanctions.
Throughout, Mr Conway has maintained he did nothing wrong despite paying his son £40,000 from Commons allowances to work as his researcher, including bonuses that breached recommended rates, when he was a full-time university student and being able to produce barely any evidence of any work he did.
Mr Conway has served the 10 day suspension from the Commons ordered by Sir George’s committee and will remain an MP until the next general election, although he has kept a low profile in Parliament since the scandal.
He has not spoken in the Commons chamber since late January, when he was forced to apologise for his behaviour prior to his suspension, and has voted only nine times out of 69 divisions since, according to the website Theyworkforyou.com, although he has signed a series of Commons motions.
Many MPs remain furious with him for triggering a wave of hostile media reports highlight the system of MPs expenses which has prompted a series of reviews and plans to require MPs to declare whether the employ members of their family.
MPs will have to state in the Register of Member’s Interests any relatives on their staff and a brief job description, although details of their salary band will be published separately.
The move, which will be put to MPs in a formally vote for approval, will take effect from August 1, although a voluntary registration system will be in place from April 1.
The four month transition period is slight watering down of transparency rules and may allow MPs time to end arrangements under which they have paid family members.
Under the plans, MPs will have to register any employee related to them by blood, by marriage or by a partnership equivalent to marriage who is paid more that £618 in a year, one per cent of a parliamentary salary. The requirement to register would continue for three years after the end of a marriage or relationship.
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what a joke. how do these people have the cheek to say they represent the people? Resign Conway, it is the only decent way out. Rebuild your life in texas where you belong - sorry texas that is unfair, rebuild your life in Crawford!
Reform the Rotten Commons.
Jack Tar, Shanghai,
The word facade describes the front of a building, but is also used to describe an outward appearance that is deceptive. This is because although a facade is normally conceived of as representing what it is fronting, anything could in fact be going on behind that facade. British politics is very secretive, so that any level of corruption, with respect to standards prevailing elsewhere, could be taking place behind the facade if, and only if, the members remain in accord as to the process. The absence of any cases of corruption in British politics would seem to imply that any deviation from the standards expected from the general population is kept hidden inhouse.
Henry Percy, London, UK
Presumably the Inland Revenue are taking an interest in all this?
Robert, Hampshire,
If MP;s can take tax payers money under false claims and the police are unable to take action then it is way over due that a criminal law is brought in to rectify this omission and fast !
All expenses should be accounted for without exemption.
Paul, Droitwich Spa, UK
The British People have to revolt against their government and restore (Great) back into Britain before its too late. Our people are being robbed of everything they and their ancestors worked for & died for. The government have gained too much power within Britain. Its time, its time for every British citizen to take back whats rightfully theres and restore britains greatness.
Joseph, Stevenston,
If it were thought that I had misappropriatied money from an organisation, would the police decline to investigate because that the organisation's accounts happened to be in a mess?
Robert, Hull, East Yorkshire
Reply to Garth:
"This scepic isle..."
Hilda Baker (circa 1960)
Robert, Hull, East Yorkshire
Sorry, Garth: "This septic isle...."
Robert, Hull, East Yorkshire
Under the new disclosure rules MPs will only have to disclose relatives they employ, NOT the relatives of other MPs.
The 4 month changeover period will allow MPs to swap relatives with other MPs, thus preventing their names being disclosed, and they can then carry on as usual.
Peter Hooper, Windsor., UK
Pathetic!CONway gets away with nicking public money.
john, shrewsbury, uk
Doesnt suprise me. MPs rarely get the punishment they deserve, there is usually some way out of their predicament. The man in the street would have been heavily fined or jailed for the same "crime". Think I will stand for election as an MP and see what I can do to bolster my flagging income due to taxes and higher than they say inflation rate.
Patricia Beatrice Kenny, Bradford , UK
Not so much "lack of systems", probably more like "plenty of old school tie" and "Establishment looks after its own (again)".
Neil, Gloucestershire, England
For MPs expenses the records are incomplete, so no prosecution.
If only it was so simple for Joe Public, try telling the HMRC that your records are incomplete !
jasper, chelmsford,
The MP's ruling us just haven't caught on to what the people really want or think !! The Mother of all Parliaments is at present the old hag of Never Never land !!!
Ian Payne, WALSALL,
Itâs disgraceful that no action will be taken to test fully the use of public money in the case of the MP Derek Conway.
Edix Portugal
Eric Dixon, Serra d'El Rei, Portugal
Remember how Shakespeare described Britain?:
"This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall,
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England"
From Richard II, Act 2 (Shakespeare)
How would he describe Britain today?
I strongly believe that a terrible day of cleansing will inevitably dawn in Britain... when the corrupt will be thrown out... and Great Britain will be restored!
God Bless England...God Save The Queen!
Garth Strong, San Diego, USA
Gee there's a suprise !!
howard tweed, nanaimo bc, canada
I hate to say it, but this is a sensible and logical outcome.
The "Honourable Gentlemen" have managed to recreate Alice's Wonderland, with checks and controls so vague that any further action would fall flat: the rules that bind the rest of us have simply never been in place in parliament.Conway's time-serving mistake was to know how to play the system better than a newly elected MP.
The good news is that they are now being forced to reveal their practices to the public eye.
Small wonder that "Many MPs remain furious with him " - you bet they are, Pandora's Box is now open.
Time for the next 'Bremner, Bird and Fortune' TV series? Their script is already written.
MikeM, St. Albans, England
When he became Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair said that he would crack down on illegal drug taking by the better off.
Anyone would think that this would include wealthy pop stars who stagger round London reportedly drugged up and constantly photographed by the press. Why does he not take any action?
He does seem to talk more than act.
Marek, london,
If that's the case, put me down for fifty grand, I won't do anything for it either, in fact having been unemployed for nearly five years, with no benefits, I reckon I've earned it!
Clive Burghard, LANCING, ENGLAND
The UK a 'democratic' country yet the people have so say, and the goons in power look after each other. I don't see any difference between the UK government. and any African county government. Does words like corruption, 'third world' and nepotism spring to mind?
Andrew Baker, Brisbane, AU
One rule for you and one rule for me. Who do you represent you or me?
steve tea, manchesters, cheshire
yet again we have politicians who escape the law of the land,if this is an example to the British public on how fraud is acceptable at the highest level , but not those at the bottom ,it shows what a corrupt society the politicians have created.
Graham Shaw, cambs, England
They have all been rumbled at last! If anyone needed any proof that you cannot trust a politician, they now have it.
Surely the answer to all this is for the Government to provide serviced accommodation for MPs deemed to live too far away from Westminster to be able to travel to the House of Commons, and to provide salaried staff for them to carry out their research and administration duties. Yes of course it will cost money, but it will be managed and controlled and not susceptible to manipulation.
Steve , Liverpool, UK
Once again it appears that these people are above the law.
He is still being paid as an MP but doing little to earn it.
This is shameful!!!!!
barbara, north east,
If Mr Conway had fiddled claims for benefits payments, which would in all likelihood have been for far smaller sums, there would be no question; he would be facing criminal charges. Quite why well-paid MPs are allowed to help themselves to taxpayer's hard-earned money with legal impunity, while fulminating pompously against (and legislating against) the poor doing so, is beyond me. (And their whining that earning double the national average wage is a low salary... spare us.)
Kate , London, UK