David Laws' expenses

[longfingernailspaintedblue]

I really thought he was the very best of the Lib Dems.

Given his fortune he obviously doesn't need the expenses, but hiding his landlord/partner from the authorities is unacceptable, even if it was to hide his sexuality.

I'm completely shellshocked.

If Laws has done nothing wrong, why is he offering to pay back tens of thoisands of pounds immediately?

thousands even

A partner is a partner is a partner.

ROFL. Shall I nip and tell my husband of 18 years that he is not my partner because we don't share bank accounts?

I particularly like the word unconscionable. I am going to try to drop it into a conversation today

Prolesworth, thanks, I really appreciate that. Uncritical party loyalty isn't a good thing for anybody.

Sure, I would like David Laws to be not guilty because he's one of my favourite Lib Dem MPs. However, if it were justified outrage, I'd share it. What I don't want is for him to be brought down for no justifiable reason.

The most damning evidence, in my opinion, is the mortgage.

David Laws increased his own personal mortgage to help James Lundie pay for his new property.

If that isn't the action of a "partner" then I don't know what is.

Thanks Lenin. This is all just so sad. It's on Kerry McCarthy's blog that their friends weren't aware of the relationship and neither were their family, so it must have been so difficult keeping it all a secret.

Ridiculous that if he was open and upfront, he could have claimed (assuming his partner would have him on the mortgage)

Guess the honeymoon is over with the coalition and the press.

claig - I actually think he shouldn't have paid it back for that reason. But I can understand that politically he felt he should do in the circumstances.

LeninGrad - what he could have done in 2006 when the rules changed was to have said "This is someone with whom I have a spousal-type relationship, so I'll claim under that heading (as married MPs do). He decided it wasn't that type of relationship, or that he wasn't prepared for it to be seen that way, and carried on as previously.

Leningrad, show me that Lundie was a spousal partner.

(I remember the papers were going through his bins at his Somerset house at the time of the Mark Oaten thing!)

Prolesworth - what is the law on benefit re. claiming as a single person and a spouse? is it comparable to the parliamentary allowances where you can apparently claim more as a spouse?

This nonsense about "keeping the relationship secret" is a grubby smoke screen from the real issue, which is greed.
If he didn't want the relationship known, then he shouldn't have claimed the expenses. It really is that simple.
Or rent a room somewhere else.
pretending that he wasn't in a relationship with the "landlord" was not to keep the press from finding out he is gay (and, anyway, who cares?) but to legitimise an otherwise illegitimate claim.

"So how can he expect to get away with just saying "sorry", paying the money back and carrying on as if nothing has happened?"

because he is the Right Honourable David Laws MP

George Osborne is behind this

vesela

Isn't increasing his own mortgage to pay for Lundie's property the action of a "spouse"?

good point harpsichord