I can understand the Reporter is suspicious
of opening attatchements,and so I am copying the conclusions of the
investigation by Sir Philip Mawer Parliamentary Commissioner For Standards into
Councillor Brenda Warrington and Andrew Gwynne MP.
I do however feel that such located
errors should not as easily cast aside as indicated in the letter and I
trust the Reporter will
decide to report this incident which I believe is
an extremely serious issue.The Letter details in full are:
Dear Mr.Hall
I am now able to let you know the outcome of the
complaint you made to me on 21st February that Mrs Warringtonhad failed to
include in the Register of Interests of Members Secretaries and Research
Assistants the fact that she is a member of Tameside Metropolitan Borough
Council.
The rules relating to this aspect of the Register
require MP`s who hold a secretarial and research assistants Parliamentary pass
to include in the Register "any occupation or employment for which (they)
receive over £295.00 from the same source in the course of a calendar year,if
that occupation or employment is in any way advantaged by the privilged access
to Parliament afforded by "their pass".
Income from any occupation includes taxable
expenses or allowances.The advantage referred to is ANY advantage not simply a
financial one.
I have explained the implications of this rule to
Mrs Warrington and as a result she has acknowledged her error in failing to list
her role as a Councillor and has asked for her entry in the Register to be
ammended to include this and two other roles she currently occupies(Mere
membership of a union does not of course need to be registered).
Mrs Warrington has apologised for her mistake,which
both she and Mr.Gwynne have assured me was unitentional.
I have therefore decided to deal with the matter
under what is known as the rectification proceedure.This means that
Mrs
Warrington`s amended entry will be highlighted
as a late entry in the next editionof the Register and will remain so
highlighted for a period of 12 months.
I am grateful to you for drawing this matter to my
attention.As a result of this and one other recent case,I intend to issue a
reminder to Members and their staff of the importance of complying with the rule
in question.
I should add that my inquiries suggest that the
delay in responding to your e-mail of 16th February to Mr.Gwynne`s office,about
which you complained in your letter to me of 24th February,was caused because
its receipt coincided with the recent short Parliamentary recess and Mrs
Warrington`s abscence on holiday.
I am copying this letter to Mrs Warrington and to
Mr.Gwynne.
Yours sincerely
Sir Philip Mawer
..............................................................................................................................................................................
Because both Andrew Gwynne M.P and Councillor
Brenda Warrington are both long experienced in the requirements for
openness,accountability,probity and honesty in
their roles as Councillors of Tameside MBC,I will now be requesting
that
Tameside MBC suspend both Councillor Andrew Gwynne
and Councillor Brenda Warrington because of their actions,and an
apology and reference to an unitentional error is certainly a
contrived whitewash of their misleading the House of Commons Registers,and
the Electorate of Tameside.
If required I will certainly furnish you with a
hard copy of the letter as indicated
Sincerely
John D.Hall
5 Stanley Road
Denton
Manchester M34 3QW
Tel:0161 320 8003