There are subjects that unite everybody outside SW1 in revulsion, yet which the Westminster political classes are so utterly used to that they find no need even to explain, let alone excuse. In my experience it is the things that “everyone knows goes on” that are most likely to get people outside SW1 going: what do you mean, ministers will secretly leak their own plans, and then deny it? What do you mean, MPs get food and drink subsidised by taxpayers (40 per cent off)? And what, they might add, do you mean - “everyone knows” that MPs routinely employ members of their family to the tune of tens of thousands of pounds a year at the taxpayers' expense? And it's legal?
By what perverted, insular reasoning do we deem it okay for the plummest jobs in the country - working in the House of Commons, assisting an MP, a foothold on a political career - to be doshed out on the basis of nepotism? Today, in the 21st century, when we have rules for public appointments, open selection procedures, scrutinising committees, how can it possibly be acceptable for an MP to appoint his wife and children to his Commons staff and pay them tens of thousands of pounds of public money each?
This is the element of the Derek Conway scandal that will most resonate, and for longest, with the public: MPs employ their families at the taxpayers' expense? You knew that? And you (the media) never made a big deal about it? Mea culpa.
But pause for a moment to consider the precise allegations against Mr Conway, for even by the standards of parliamentary nepotism he is extraordinary. First, the MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup used part of his staffing allowance (up to £87,000 a year) to pay his son a £11,000 salary, equivalent to a full-time salary of £25,970 a year, while he was on a full-time course at Newcastle University. The MPs who investigated the complaint found not only that it was “inherently improbable” that the son, who “seems to have been all but invisible during the period of his employment”, worked the full contracted hours; they also thought his salary “excessive”, “far out of line with what would have been justifiable”.
But there's worse. Not content with bunging his son £11,000 a year (plus pension), Mr Conway gave him top-up bonuses amounting to: £2,000 in September 2005, £5,000 in May 2006, £1,300 in January 2007 and £1,765.94 in May 2007. (The Honourable Member actually requested £5,000 for this one but was only allowed the smaller amount.) We're up to nearly 45K. Are you angry yet?
The committee of MPs found that the bonuses went “way beyond the permitted ceiling”, a ceiling that Mr Conway managed not to breach when employing other members of staff for the preceding three years. “This arrangement was, at the least, an improper use of parliamentary allowances: at worst it was a serious diversion of public funds.” In any other field, in the private sector, it would be treated as fraud.
Now hark at Mr Conway, in an apology to the House lasting not quite a whole minute. “I will not delay the business of the House by going through the contents of that report, as it is publicly available...”, he began. No, let us delay it. Let us go through the contents again, and slowly: £43,770. “Far out of line... way beyond the permitted ceiling”, “inherently improbable” the boy did the work, “all but invisible”, a “serious diversion of public funds”.
It had been, the MP pleaded, “a very difficult period. The House will comprehend the impact that this matter has on me personally and also on my family...” Ah, poor me. “I have let them down very badly indeed, and no judgment from any quarter could be more harsh than that which I apply to myself.”
No judgment could be more harsh? What about resignation? Prosecution? Jail? The man is unbelievable.
Oh, and it also turns out that the MP employed another son to the tune of £32,000 in his busy undergraduate years - and Mrs Conway too! At a cost of £260,000 in family salaries over the years.
This is nothing like the financial errors that caused Peter Hain to resign, large though those were, let alone the smaller reporting errors of other Labour deputy leadership candidates. By what manner of serious misjudgment David Cameron took almost 24 hours to come to the conclusion that Mr Conway should have the whip withdrawn will doubtless form a paragraph in some future biography of the Tory leader. Mr Conway's position as an MP was unsustainable from the moment the report was published.
But ah! said the BBC, in its first online analysis of the scandal on Monday, “MPs taking on members of their family to work on their staff is not at all unusual. Many have to spend the working week away from home...” And oh, added its political editor the next day, the penalty is already severe compared with those normally handed out by the Commons. Meanwhile, most newspapers buried the story in their inner pages.
Severe? Try prison! Try finding some of Mr Conway's constituents jailed for significantly less benefit fraud, or a mother separated from her children because she couldn't pay a court fine. Then tell me Mr Conway's punishment is severe.
Beyond the Westminster village, these cosy arrangements are shocking. Employ your relatives, employ your mates. Carve up the political goodies. Keep it in the family. It is paternalistic, it is undemocratic and sometimes, as Mr Conway has shown us, it is corrupt. Yet we were so used to it, we thought it unworthy even of comment. All of us who are not MPs have one thing to thank Mr Conway for: he has exploded it into the light.
David Cameron,who I was leaning towards trusting, showed his true colours when he said ,the "punishment has been given etc this referred to the possible 10 day suspension and possible refund of £13k ,no more needs to be said" .It was only the next day seeing the contempt shown to this man and the connivance of his colleagues Roger Gail inter alia, seeing him smirking before and after his address to the house,that the whip was withdrawn,up until then,the matter was deemed to have been dealt with by a mild telling off and the threat of a 10 day suspension. I have been a conservative for 40 years up until the corrupt and useless John Major made people like Blair possible (in that the fear that another Major would emerge people kept Blair in office not because they liked him ,but the alternative was another Major.)Just started to believe that Cameron was different when he says something like that.The only decent mp in the house is Frank Field and I'm no labour supporter except him
kevinvslater, london, uk
We love you Alice Miles. Your efforts and research on such matters are motivating the readers. The Prime Minister will be fraudulent if he does not take the appropriate actions. Jail ,and change the systems of legislation approval, is the course that he should take and very quickly at that.. Democracy is dead in Britain and the rest of her old colonies.
Jim Wills, Brisbane, Australia
I've always been suspicious about MP's employing their close family members to 'essential' positions; I believe it to be a nice little scam. Glad the wheels may have come off this gravy train (yes, a mixed metaphor.)
Please let Mr Conway be prosecuted with all the vigour usually reserved for single mothers who seek to eke out benefits by doing a cash in hand cleaning job on the side.
Susie Morley, St Leonards on Sea, UK
What a lot of hot air. None of these 'solutions' will come to pass and it will all be forgotten (by the media) by this time next month. Things will then just carry on as usual. And by the way Alice, watch your back. I suspect you may be facing the sack for shooting off your mouth. They don't have woman Freemasons, do they?
John, Tunbridge Wells, England
In my opinion all MP's are the same, regardless of party.
Ten years ago I knew of a Labour MP behaving in a very similar manner to Derek Conway.
One mans sleaze is anothers unfortunate error.
Anonymous, Yorkshire, England
Conway is a common thief and should be prosecuted.
Nick, miami Florida, England
Alice, please don't let this go, until at the very least, this untrustworthy idiot has resigned. No doubt the usual dampening down will now tried to be applied in the hope that the great british mugs (thats tax payers in official terms) forget and move on to the next scandal which is no doubt around the corner! What a bunch of muppets we've got in the big house.
Steve Clarke, Maidstone, UK
I have no time for Mr Conway, he's been caught with his fingers in the till. Had he been a member of the public he would be looking at a criminal prosecution. Just like the man who disappeared in his canoe, and allegedly tried to defraud a poor insurance company out of £25k. And we all know how honest insurance companies are!
About Stephen Kinnock, he might be doing a good job in Russia. But so could thousands of other people, who somehow, don't seem to get the chance to prove it.
It looks like nepotism to me.
Peter, Swansea,
Paul in Dunfermline - you must be working for Gordon and the team becasue you're the only person on-(Kinnock)side on this issue! It's not about whether Stephen Kinnock is competent or not to do the job, but whether, by virtue of nepotism, he should be doing the job at all! There are plenty of people who could do that job equally well, but doubtless possibly never got the opportunity to apply for the post. Who knows whether the rules were followed, and even if they were, were they followed correctly - deja vu Labour campaign funds and all that! Robin Worrall, Copenhagen
Robin Worrall, Edinburgh, UK
There needs to be a public body over looking all aspects of MP's pay and expences, there is no other way around it. They are proun to fraud and need to eaither send one of them to jail for a few years to set an example.
Goverment is so, so corrupt in all aspects that they need the public to oversee all of this spending.
Anyone on the public body has to earn 16,000 a year or less, so they can aprisahted the value of money and also realise that there people can live on 25 a year with minimul expences.
They must use public transport (NOT TAXI'S) to lead by example, they must pay for there own food and drink and also to publish everyday what they had for lunch, again, lead by example on all aspects of life.
The biggest one, close down the smoking room they have and bad the exempt they have in the law allowed them to smoke.
Andrew T, england,
I think Cameron acted correctly. 24 hours to come to a view seems reasonable to me. Read the report ask some questions via the Chief Whip...what's wrong with that?
I'd rather have a prospective PM consider the facts rather than seek a quick headline.
Compare that to the dithering over weeks from Brown.
Jeremy, London, England
About Stephen Kinnock and charges of nepotism - the man is actually doing a job in Russia, which he seems fairly capable of doing, so hardly comparable to Conway's family gravy train.
Paul M, Dunfermline, UK
I would think his colleagues from all parties will be angry at Mr Conway being found out - not least because it will turn the spotlight onto their own arrangements on stealing our money to pay to their own family members
Ian, St.Albans,
We should not forget that each of his sons was party to, and the beneficiary of, this apparent fraud: and that they should be called to account for their criminal actions.
GC, Edinburgh,
Speaking of nepotisms, amid all the fuss about art shows in Russia did anyone notice that Stephen Kinnock was the civil servant appointed to St Peterberg for a department headed up by... you guessed it.. .Neil Kinnock, don't forget Glynnis has been put on the payroll too.
Doubtless we would all be happy to put our family on the payroll.... so long as someone else was stumping up the cost!
Steve, Wimborne, U.K.
Are all MP's 'benefit cheats'?
Maybe we should use the number the government keeps putting out to report benefit cheats. Trouble is I don't know who my MP is- let alone the EU one- does the latter still exist?
Peter, reading, berks
Absolutey spot-on and brilliant article. Everything I should like to say but not articulate enough to write down.
Who do these people think they are? Right Honourable indeed!
Ben Haworth, Norwich,
We are probably in breach of the human rights act to condemn Conway in this way. After all it would appear to be the right of all MP's to claim whatever sum they take a fancy to, without any query or proper audit of any kind. How can they get away with it? Because they make up their own rules and have no proper investigative procedures in place.
It's high time that the number of MP's be reduced by about 50%.
They are ineffective, self indulgent, self seeking, part-time potentates.
trevorjd, Torbay, UK
1 day to process the information in the report and act appropriately seems fine to me. I think Cameron acted correctly and timely to the situation. A refreshing balanced change to New labours tendency for either ill-judged knee jerk reactions, or ill-judged stubborn claw marks on the doorframe as the guilty refuse to leave. Cameron did the right thing to gather infomation, make a judgement and then act. It would be nice to have a Prime Minister like that for a change. Wow, leadership and judgement! Imagine that?, havent seen any of that from the current government for a while.
Chris , Prague,
I think you've said it all. Excellent!
Dermot, Warwick,
We should move to properly, and transparently, financed public staffing of MPs' offices by civil servants, at arm's length from MPs' families, who have had to gain the usual qualifications and who have to account for their work.
While we're at it, can we also look at the public grants many MPs and ministers claim, eg for doing up their houses, and have these publicly declarable, including who approved them?
Then can we look at the dynastic effect of appointing one's children to other public bodies, eg British Council, or of giving them Government contracts, eg for media work?
Peter Lewiston, London, England
<I>By what perverted reasoning do we deem it okay for the plummest jobs in the country to be doshed out on the basis of nepotism?</i>
When was it ever different?
Phil Austin, RAUNDS, England
Alice Miles is right, 'outrageous' is the word. Let us have strict rules for MPs, never mind relying on their 'integrity'. They should not be allowed to employ family members, and all the people they employ should be subject to strict scrutiny as to the work they do and the money they receive. Look at severely disabled people - when they receive 'direct payments' to employ a 'helper' they are not allowed to employ family members!! I find this astonishing when compared with the goings on in Westminster! I wonder who has the most need for help, or indeed, the most integrity?!! Raymond E.Lancaster.
Raymond Edmondson, Lancaster, UK
Well said, Alice, and keep up the good work. If our system of parliamentary jobs-for-the boys and their families (sorry, democracy) is really the least corrupted in the world (as we are alway being told by Jack Straw et al) then heaven help all of us.
Ann Keith, Cambridge, uk
What a disgrace. Mr Conway should go to jail. MP's are ripping us off big time. Please Mr Brown can you do something about this. MP's claiming travel expenses without receipts. This is absolutely unheard of in a civilised country. I will assume this country is not far off from the level of corruption that takes place in Nigeria.
Karen gold, Rochester, UK
Ah, the British Council, which is making staff redundent and closing libraries all over the place, yet encourages other senior staff to travel as much as possible to claim frequent traveller allowances. Internal staff surveys go unheeded whilst the senior management continue to plough on regardless and boast the best of British practise, which they patently do not do when delaing with teachers, librarians etc who actually make all the moeny.
Are you really surprised that 'Kinnock junior' is a head of a British Council office?
JR, Madrid,
Not only should the corrupt Conway be investigated by the police.His sons are surely guilty of conspiracy to defraud.A shared cell for the 3 of them would be money well spent.
P Robin, plouhinec, france
New rules for MPs.
1) No expenses however small without a receipt -why should they be different to all other employees.
2) No second home allowance, its a con to allow them to buy a second home at the tax payers expense then sell it and make money
3) No second Jobs QC, Director or anything else and at £60k+ per annum its probably not as well paid as a GP but you'll not starve.
4) Pensions that are not final salary and index linked, bring them into the real world of stake holder pensions and group money purchase schemes
5) No more than two consecutive terms as an MP, too much time in the Westminster opium den is likely to get you addicted. You can come back for another shot after having gone off and done something else for a term.
6) No alcohol on the premises -like any other job
7)No terminal payments for losing your seat at a general election, other than statutory redundancy pay. 1 week for every year of service.
8) No employing relatives of MPs
Gerry, Swindon, Wilts
Alice, how many of the entry-level jobs in some of the "plummest jobs" in the country IN THE MEDIA are handed out on the basis of nepotism? How many sons and daughters of journalists get work experience and first jobs on newspapers, or freelance work or holiday work? Dozens, that I can name, and I bet you can too, It doesn't make what MPs do right, but the media are very powerful, and if nepotism is wrong, it is wrong everywhere, isn't it?
David Mills, LONDON,
Is he related to Karen Conway?
Baris Nikolayevich Grebe-Warbler, South East,
All politicians are as corrupt as they are allowed to be - that's why there should be severe penalties on Conway, ideally a prison sentence plus having to repay all the defrauded monies. (and if he ends up broke and destitute, well, that's what happens to criminals isn't it?)
The penalties must be strong enough to stop other MPs from helping themselves to public funds - not just a meaningless token to give the impression to the public that something has been done.
At least, that's what would happen in a just and fair system, so there's not much chance of it happening here.
Rich, Birmingham, UK
I have worked at businesses which actively discouraged the employment of both partners in a marriage in the same business. This was in the UK, and I am not that old!
I don't actually agree with such a stance; however, it seems to me to be entirely legitimate to question whether one could EVER be sure that allowing an elected official to redirect public money at such attractive terms to members of their own family is not exploited fraudulently.
I have also spent many years living in one location and working in another. What form do I fill in to enable me to get other taxpayers to subsidise my purchase of a second property to make this lifestyle both more pleasurable and massively more profitable?
It seems from the outside that MPs' salaries are a drop in the ocean when compared to their expenses and subsidised property profits. What sort of payscale is it where staff would give up their salaries RATHER than their perks and expenses?
Mike, Staines,
I would be very interested to know if HMCR knew about these apparent researchers.What does their expense account look like?
Daniel Richard Holland, Tarragona, Spain
" All of us who are not MPs have one thing to thank Mr Conway for: he has exploded it into the light."
And he did this of his own volition?
willis, belfast,
He also claims for a London home, as opposed to his constituency seat, which is apparantly too far to commute from.
Which is just slightly odd, seeing as he is the MP for old Bexley and Sidcup... a commuter town. Where everyone else commutes to London on a daily basis. I work near Westminster and I do it, my colleagues do it and my friends do it.
Why can't he?
I can't believe our constituency ended up with such a crass MP. Please tell me they're not all like this.
Poppy, Sidcup,
The published circumstances appear to amount to a prima facie case of simple fraud.
If that is so, may we assume that a criminal investigation would be the appropriate outcome to vindicate the reputation of the "Mother of Parliaments"?
Peter Hinton-Green, Johannesburg, South Africa
How come McDonalds has a more equal employment process than our government?
Fire 'em all and shove them in prison with all the commoners that broke the law!
wiltshire wurzel, swindon,
There are far too many Members of Parliament for the work they have to do.
Let's have a show of hands from those who are not well and truly at it, and abide by their political principles, (Harman please note) getting rid of the rest in the economic interest
Conway is a rogue, pure and simple.
Terry Hawker, L'Absie, France
Conway does indeed appear to have been caught with his fingers in the public till, but he was just unlucky - I've always understood that it was standard practice (at least for the majority of MPs).
The one person who comes out of this as the nastiest piece of work (in my eyes) is his Liberal Democrat oppenent who initiated the complaint. He may well have been correct to do so, but it does have an awful stink of personal advantage "Please teacher, my personal political oppenent is naughty - expel him so I can get elected!"
MIke Bibby, St Albans, England -not EU
people are right to be shocked, if not surprised. but this is a problem with the system - I doubt that there is a single mp who would come out of a proper examination of his expenses with his halo intact. mortgages on second homes, family staff, etc.... they're not exactly uncommon, are they?
sure, conway's a thief and should go straight to jail without passing go, but he's just following establised practices.
however, alice miles's comments on david cameron are ridiculous. his response was actually rather quick. to get a labour mp to take responsibility takes weeks of press revelations and disruptive mockery making their position untenable. and labour was the party that presented itself as the alternative to sleaze. they tried to take the moral high ground.
alice wouldn't be overegging the pudding here in an attempt to distract attention from labour's own sleaze, would she? as if. i'd like to see all of her expense claims.
jem, london, uk
It's incidents like this that undermine's the UK overseas. How on earth can the UK government go to countries like Zimbabwe or Nigeria, complaining about corruption and campaigning for transparency, while members of the UK government are carrying on like this? It is disgusting.
Lisa, London,
The indignation goes on and on. Yet will the cancer at the heart of our Parliament (remember the indignation of Mr Aitkin) be cut out and the body politic cured? Nah. The Standards and Privileges Committee, made up of "there but for the grace" of MPs, will suggest all sorts but eventually find a way to avoid it.
Why aren't we marching in the streets and putting forward alternatives to it? Apathy. The enemy of democracy. Will someone start the fight back, please.
Mrs Davies, Bruton, UK
Well done Alice. I am 69 and caring for my wife without a carers allowance. Thats because I am getting the state pension and I therefore don`t qualify. I say to myself "well thats fair enough" But when I read about Conway and we know he is not the only politician on the make I dispair.
Like everything else this will soon die down and go away unless it is followed up closely. Will you please try to ensure that this is not put to bed?
Super article
Lindsay, Kidderminster,UK
lindsay pulley, Kidderminster, Worcestershire
the thing that amazes me always is that the contsnacy of dual standards.
For similar acts in a private company a person would fired and probably tried for fraud.
For MPs. ..this all seesm to be accepted practice ?
No wonder the public has a general disgust for politicians.
When will someone in power start to impose a public ethics code for all civil servants (including MPS) that has real teeth ?
S R Timms, Edinburgh , UK
Ah yes ! A lucrative postition in the City - One wonders why any self respecting bank or company in the city takes on these failures, or is this a form of insurance ? If you want to play a violin get a fiddler !
William, Southampton, UK
Keep up this campaign and lets think about reducing the number of MPs by making two constituencies out of every three at present. Every business in the country has had to slim down by this sort of magnitude in recent times, but parliament and its hangers on just grow and consume more each year. We need to call a halt. and get MPs to concentrate on their proper function. Away with their researchers!
P.N. Snowdon, Leeds, UK
This is not a political issue, it is a governmental issue. All parties are guilty of these atrocities. It is time the taxpayer demanded that it end.
R M, London, UK
I hope everyone has read today's "Red Box" blog in the news section, which explains how MPs come to enjoy the secrecy enabling them to escape outside scrutiny of their expenses(make sure you also follow the 'blue' links). What with this and the recent report that they have special security for their tax/NI matters, it's easy to see how he/they get away with it.
MikeM, St. Albans, England
The indignant Alice Miles needs to also compare the behaviour of the party leaders in these matters. On the one hand we have a Labour government who has been immersed in slease allegations and cash for honours for the past 2 years. So far only one minister has resigned. Incredible I call that.
John Prescott another fine example who apparently led a priviledged existence at the taxpayers expense, and who found time to romance his secretary in office hours, at your and my expense.
David Cameron on the other hand has been quick to get rid of Conway, and shown responsible, swift and decisive leadership. Contrast his actions with Blair and Brown.
Perhaps Alice Miles should highlight these facts instead of a rant that is clearly overblown. In fact why does she not investigate the Labour MP who sits at the top of the ladder for administrative claims with a whopping 185,000 pounds which was 50,000 POUNDS more than the previous year.
Richard K, Nottingham,
But he has not been directed to refund ALL of the money!
This beggars belief - if in the private sector a full refund would probably be demanded, and probably there would be a prosecution as well.
Also Alice has missed a point. BY spreading the money about Conway has avoided hgiher rate tax for his family memebrs, and ensured that much of it was in nil or 10% bands. Moreover, there is the issue of pension contributions, which are tax deductible. And how are those going to be treated as the sons "employed" if not entitled to the pay, would have no pension entitlement either.
While the committee which passsed judgement alerted us to teh matter, their judgemetn was extraordinarily mild. And instead of being summarily dismissed for gross misconduct, as woudl be the normal penalty in a normal job, without any compensation, he is being allowed to stay on, missing only a few days salary, and enhancing his platinum plated MP's pension.
M E Corby, London,
Quite right, Nigel Wroe, 'the ginger socialist' has just returned with a massive EU taxpayer funded pension, his wife is still there and (so I understand) employs her daughter as a secretary. 'The ginger socialist' is now head of the British Council and his son (surprise, surprise) is head of the British Council in Moscow. Am I the only one that finds this reward for failure distasteful?
mnairb, Hove,
In every other field there are strict rules about expenses, accounting Iand open appointments - why not in Parliament? I did wonder why the media didn't make more of the nepotism revealed in the recent Russian Council affair - did Neil Kinnock's son get his job purely on merit in open competition?
Graham Cooper, Shepton Mallet, Somerset
Well said Alice!! But a bit of advice,"Watch your back!"
You may have read a couple of articles by your colleagues who, while trying to be critical of Conway's fiddling, had to add the caveat that it's not all bad.
Now that he is out of politics, this leaves him available for a lucrative position in the City, where, with his talents, he should fit in very nicely.
Harry Kennard, Peasmarsh, England
The Times used to be known as the Thunderer. This is something that, if we are to preserve any sort of democracy, should be thundered about.
John, Kenilworth,
The whip was withdrawn, not voluntarily, but because of pressure. Because it was pointed out that it was hypocrisy to criticise the goverment when your MPs were doing the same.
I could have spat when he said that he was being self critical - he is deliberately milking the system - his only regret is that he was caught.
The tories have sunk low in my opinion: partly because they have MPs who steal our hard *earned* money, and partly because they would happily have ignored this has it been possible. The only mitigating factor is the fact to so many other MPs from all parties do the same.
Excellent article!
Karl, Nottingham, UK
Nepotism is rife irrespective of party. That well known left wing socialist family from Wales 'The Kinnocks' used the system brilliantly with their son working in Brussels when Daddy was a commisioner and Mammy an MEP.
Lo and behold when Dad's term is over he lands the top job with the British council and their little boy turns up Director of the St. Petersburg office.
I often wonder what Kinnocks mentor Michael Foot makes of it.
Mr Conway chose the wrong party. Labour get away with it.
Alan Smith, SWANSEA,
Conway has in all likelyhood done wrong, and he will be punished, more so than has already happened.
He took, what? £100 000 perhaps a bit more, then with all the freebies, meals, transport and whatever else these politicians can claim as "legitimate", lets say its a whopping £200 000.
It amazes me that Blair has just made £3 million in the past month from being a "special adviser" to large firms, in total he has reportedly made £10 million since leaving office, but no peep from the media.
What has he done or what is he doing that is deserving of the latest £3million, they dont need his law skills he hasnt practised in decades and they have younger and smarter lawyers anyway.
He has no financial sector knowldge just ask Gordon brown who wouldnt let him in the door of the treasury.
So why the hoo haa about Conway and indeed Hain etc if we are going to let Blair get away with peddling influence which is all he has to peddle, for much larger sums?
P Phillips, london,
Conway should resign immediately. It is a pity that we do not seem to have a rule in place where if crimes are committed by MPs they must give up their seat as well and that seat should be up for grabs - the constituents will then be able to choose a new, and one hopes honest, replacement!
It is apparent that the law must b changed immediately and no more relatives should be employed by any MP -- be they Labour, Coinservative or LibDem,. What Conway has done is most likely something which most MPs are also guilty of.
Let's see if we can now get honest people in office -- how about a General Election NOW
Chips Westwood, Sarlat La Caneda, France
Cameron has to get advice from his spin doctors,then see which way the winds blowing before he ends up doing another Flip Flopping U Turn.
Bill Rees, Truro, Cornwall
Hey Graham of Havant when the accusations against Betsy Duncan-Smith surfaced in 2002 it transpired that at the time51 Labour MPs 13 Con MPs and 1 Lib Dem MP were employing family and/or friends. Peter Hain was employing his 79yr old mother. Needless to say when you see the numbers involved at the time the whole subject was quickly dropped by all parties.
Also isnt there some employment law that says jobs must be advertised and competed for just think of how many members of the public could have had a decent job with good pay and where are the Unions when you need them never heard them shouting about the unfairness of all this even if was not illeagle.
GMG, Rugby, England
I fully agree with Chris Thompson, I was thinking the same thing myself, there have been reports of the scandalous corruption, fraud and theft by MEPs, but amazingly nobody seems interested!! However maybe now this system of employing family members will be stopped in our parliment, but I doubt it, are there any honest MP's?
paul , Brecon, Wales
Am I missing something here? Conway "employed" his sons and wife but this seems a convenient cover for abusing his position and funds.... Smacks of fraud/theft to me, but of course we must, as Conway said, "comprehend the impact that this matter has on me personally and also on my family." Right-o. This is how it feels to be busted eh? Terrible shame. There are adverts on television at the moment which warn potential benefit fraudsters that there will be nowhere to hide.."no ifs, no buts"...but in the Commons itself there seems to be a few hiding places... Shocking.
Kat, London,
Spot on Alice-we should all join you in getting very angry- what gives these people the God given right to supervise themselves and not justify all their expenses as everyone else has to?
Also dead right about employment of family- where else would this be allowed? I'm a councillor with sights on being an MP, who receives a pittance for doing a 45 hour week, and for something like this would be shown the door.
Roger Brown, Cirencester,
As long as our parliament conducts itself according to such archaic rules, there will always be a greedy individual who will try to take advantage, and commit acts that elsewhere would be tantamount to theft. Conway has been exposed but so has the corrupt environment that the conservative (small c!), club of SWI are so keen to maintain under the excuse of tradition. Off with their heads!
John Lancaster, Brussels,
It would be interesting to offer MPs a £20,000 pay increase tied to Civil Service Mileage rates, all expenses claims over £10 to be receipted and justified, independent audit of employees work and a profit share on any rise in the capital value of any house paid for by the tax payer. Costs of meals, drinks etc at Westminster to be brought upto the level of comparable Companies.
Dave Burns, Beckenham, England
Well done , Alice Miles.
May your article be the first of many which WILL lead to a huge set of changes to the political system .
The Fourth Estate have MUCH more to do than continue to purvey tabloidal nonsense in a bid for sales when it can be used to effect necessary changs within our society that still retains too much from the previous centuries.
michael moorhouise, Bazauges, france
Conway should go, preferably via a magistrates court.
Mr Cameron should explain his pitiful inaction.
BrummyDoug, Birmingham, England
The EU political bandwagon is an even larger, more foetid can of worms, yet the media don't seem interested in it....at least the the Houses of Parliament has had its pompous complacency shaken. Far worse things go on Brussels and Strasbourg (ask any MEP) yet they are never made public. We are now effectively ruled from Brussels, so why are the corrupt goings-on there (funded by us) completely ignored?
Chris Thompson, Rotherham , UK
Why be surprised? It's just the same as the Mafia families dividing up the city amongst them. No matter which gang you vote for, you are still getting gangsters. The outrage among some other MPs is only at this man's stupidity in getting caught, thus training the spotlight on them all. The whole political set-up stinks.
Q.McCutcheon, Aberdeen, UK
Conway has barely scratched the surface of the massive iceberg of corrupt potential which I intend to tap to its fullest extent the moment I am elected as MEP in the Anti EC Interest for Fenlands North.
Don't say I didn't warn you.
Furriskey, Singapore,
Basically this is fraud and needs to be dealt with by the CPS.
One gets the impression however that such behaviour is not uncommon in the commons and we need to address some issues:
MPs need to be subject to audit and transparency much like everyone else in the country.
Perversely, I would advocate a substantial increase in MPs pay. Their actual salary of around £60k and assuming that they are honest enough not to embezzle their expenses is far from competitive and would not interest intelligent successful individuals who do not have access to a huge trust fund.
The best politicians are often those who have had a successful career and are already financially secure. We need to weed out the current plague of mediocre career politicians who have never had a proper job in their lives. We can only do this by offering a decent renumeration package to compete with banks, law firms and the like.
Chang, Epsom, UK
The press should seek the full picture in a renewed Freedom of Information request. This behaviour is contemptible and Conway should be charged.
Brian, Edinburgh, UK
Cameron withdrew the whip from Conway within 24 hours and is considered by Alice to have dithered, presumably for not immediately doing what the press told him, rather than taking time to look at the situation. A decision of this sort within 24 hours is good and it is disingenious to claim it could have been faster.
No comment about Bottler Brown still not having withdrawn the whip from Peter Hain (who has admitted breaking the law), Harriet Harman, Wendy Alexander, Johnson or the Balls and their dodgy morgage claims, weeks after they were disclosed.
Andrew Williams, Stockton-on_Tees,
The outrage is the onerous obligations applied to private sector organisations to outlaw exactly these kinds of abuses e.g. the combined code, the FSA regime of approved persons. These have heavy sanctions and are policed by many aggressive over bearing and incompetent civil servants (just look at Northern Rock). Sack him and jail him.
CF1, Poole, Dorset
As a self-employed contractor subject to IR35 legislation, passed by these MPs. the only comment I can make is "Stop thief".
I am not allowed, by law, to pay any of my salary or allowances to a close relative. If MPs want trust they better start learning how to be accountable and how to follow the same rules as the rest of us. I sincerely hope that the Times and others are going to publish some leage tables of all this just before the next election.
KR, Stockport,
Remember IR35; tax legislation introduced by Dim Prim to prevent small one-man businesses employing their wives.? Different rules for different folk me think.
What a trough swilling lot we have in Westminster, no wonder we hate them.
Pietro, Lagos,
This was not a simple one off administrative oversight, it was systermatic thieft from the tax payer (you and me) over a number of years. Withdrawing the whip indeed, Mr Cameron should have called in the police, and requested the HNRC to find out if tax had been paid on the so called wages.
Anthony J, Tredegar, Gwent
Thank you Alice Miles for bringing this into the open. The system of approving legislation in Britain needs to be changed.
The British political system is not "Democracy for the people, by the people". Why,? you may ask. The reason is that in the British system, the publics approval is not cast on every piece of legislation. The approval process is controlled by a few in the political parties. Lobbying by money rich and greedy groups controls the vote. There lies the basic flaw in the system. With the electronic devices of this modern age each citizen should be able to vote on each piece of legislation by using a bill code, approval code and a password. This way there can be no lobbying of politicians. A new system of legislation voting by the public is desperately required.
Not only must Mr Conway go to jail, but all the other parliamentarians abusing the system and those who approved the payments should join.
Jim Wills, Brisbane, Australia
I note that Brown & Co. have reserved comment on this crime. I suspect a very large cross party pile of excrement is about to hit a world record size fan.
Some MPs would be advised to come forward voluntarily, I have such complete faith in the system that I will bet on there being a good handful of MP's that are deeper in the mire than the thief Conway.
A review of the way MP's are employed must be implemented. The way that MP's vote on their own pay, pensions and expenses, stinks. A new body should be created to oversee all fiscal matters regarding pay and privileges. No-one appointed this body should be an ex-MP .
John , Newcastle, UK
If Cameron does not sack him immediately he will be accused of dithering.
martin brighton, sheffield,
Although Cameron took 24 hours to do this, the Labour party hasn't done anything about expelling any of its frauds out of their party. I see a big difference between the actions of the Conservatives and those of Labour. The other difference is that this Conservative is not in the Cabinet.
Chris, London, England
The Conservative Party devoted so much attention to Ian Duncan Smith and whether his wife Betsy had performed work for which she was paid. No doubt they will be equally scrupulous in examining every other case that is evident.
CCTV, Oxford, England
In the real world outside of Westminister, most businesses now use a web expenses system to enter expenses online - quick, easy and most importantly both audible and transparent.
The technology exists - use it and knock all this nonsense on the head I say!
James, Harrogate,
It is time that MPs are held accountable. They should get a fixed salary with all expenses requiring receipts.
With the current system it is most improbable that even the most honest hard working person who becomes an MP could actually stop their selves from committing some form of fraud. In all businesses there is a responsibility of management not to place temptation in the way and to have controls that prevent fraud.
Why should we be surprised however when the EU bureaucrats cannot even get their accounts audited due to the large scale fraud.
joe, Edinburgh, Scotland
Thankyou, Alice, for highlighting this perspective. Those who compare this "diversion of funds" to Hain's misdeeds are on the wrong track. Hain may be guilty of obfuscation by an omission of reporting, whether deliberate or not. Conway appears to have been caught with his fingers in the public till. This should not be swept under the carpet.
Graham, Havant, Hampshire
Upon a time we would have described the Honourable Gentleman a thief, for that is exactly what he is ! The system needs total overhaul - just listen to the members coming to his aid - the automatons scream it's a "witch hunt", Fine, lets not go witch hunting, every member of the house should be investigated - snap inspections of their accounts, like the rest of us. The self regulating system must stop and an independant review body should be set up with the powers to prosecute. This is not dipping into the family pot, it is theft from the British people a more lowly crime than the abuse of your country is hard to imagine.
william, southampton, uk
If this had been a Nu Labor MP, he would have been forced to resign and then be offered a job as a European Commissioner, assuming the ginger socialist could spare a bit of gravy for them.
Nigel Wroe, Doncaster, Yorkshire
Conway is a disgrace. Cameron may regret not withdrawing the whip sooner.
i suspect this is just the tip of a very nasty Iceberg,
Michael Rigby, Blackburn,