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Bury MP David Chaytor in 'Expenses Scandal' (From Bury Times)
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Bury MP David Chaytor in 'Expenses Scandal'
9:56am Saturday 16th May 2009
BURY North MP David Chaytor has been caught up the expenses scandal after he admitted claiming thousands of pounds of taxpayers' cash for a non-existent mortgage.
Mr Chaytor, who was due to arrive back from a publicly-funded Commons committee trip to the US today, faces almost certain suspension from the Parliamentary Labour Party.
He has said he will repay £13,000 paid out in interest on a loan which had already been repaid, blaming "an unforgivable error in my accounting procedures for which I apologise unreservedly".
Downing Street said Chief Whip Nick Brown, who earlier this week suspended former minister Elliot Morley over a similar claim, would hold urgent discussions on the "very serious" matter before taking action.
Mr Chaytor is the latest victim from the Daily Telegraph's publication of leaked expenses claims which have rocked Westminster.
His admission will further fuel public demands for a police inquiry into expenses claims as police and prosecutors prepare to meet to discuss potential investigations.
A panel of senior Scotland Yard officers and prosecutors will meet next week to decide what action to take in response to a surge of complaints that MPs misused parliamentary expenses.
Lawyers have said there would appear to be a case for some to be pursued for theft or other offences.
In a statement, Mr Chaytor said: "In respect of mortgage interest payments, there has been an unforgivable error in my accounting procedures for which I apologise unreservedly, "I will act immediately to ensure repayment is made to the Fees Office."
He was also accused by the newspaper of "flipping" his second home expense claims between five different properties since 2004.
He said the moves were forced by "changing and complex family circumstances".
"During this time, I should have ensured that my mortgage had been switched to the flat in which I was temporarily living. Stupidly and inexplicably, and at a time of great personal and family stress, I failed to ensure that this was done."
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Your Say YourBury
m spanner, Bury says...
11:05am Sat 16 May 09
JerryC, Bury says...
11:29am Sat 16 May 09
denium, Bury says...
12:33pm Sat 16 May 09
battleleader12, bury says...
12:37pm Sat 16 May 09
the last time the was a election to select a councilor i spoiled the paper ,seeing has there wasnt a person worthy of my vote .it now seems i did the right thing .
if you did a survey who did you trust ,and politicains used to come on the bottom run of the ladder .now through there greed they dont even make it that high..
soldiers are dieing because these politicians sent them to a country to fight for freedom liberty and democracy,what price are these worth..
i once got a fine for no roat tax .but i dont think there will be any legal action taken against these political tax evaders ..
gilbert and sulivan in the pirates of penzantes wrote their more pirates who wear suits than ever sailed the seven seas..it looks like these composers where right after all..
robin banks, Bury says...
1:01pm Sat 16 May 09
Come on Mr Chaytor, isn't it time you started living in the real world.....along with the rest of the 60000 of us in this wonderful town. You bring shame on the good name of Bury.
louisehb, ramsbottom says...
1:58pm Sat 16 May 09
John Edwards, Kearsley says...
2:02pm Sat 16 May 09
robin banks wrote:I've said before and I'll say again, the houses of commons is the most corrupt house in the UK. legal thieves I say. We would be prosecuted immediately. They're saying they made a mistake, of course they will, they got caught. All MPs should live in a housing block with standard furniture and pay rent for their rooms. This way the tax payer would not be paying for their second homes which they sell at a profit and keep the proceeds. Bring back Guy Fawkes.
I shall contact my bank right now to cancel my direct debit on my mortgage. Should the mortgage company contact me over the matter, I shall claim complex family issues and stress. I am sure they will understand. Come on Mr Chaytor, isn't it time you started living in the real world.....along with the rest of the 60000 of us in this wonderful town. You bring shame on the good name of Bury.
denize, malta says...
2:06pm Sat 16 May 09
The police should be brought in to investigate and he should be treated like any other criminal.No wonder our country is Going to the Dogs..actually it already has.
The Man on Bury Bridge, Elton, Bury says...
2:21pm Sat 16 May 09
They should all be fired with loss of pensions and then jailed for fraud.
CWC, Tottington says...
2:25pm Sat 16 May 09
Lets see what he has to say to the Bury Times next week to try to justify himself.
jmapy, Radcliffe says...
3:48pm Sat 16 May 09
Only a few short weeks ago David Chaytor held a question and answer session, supposedly to show how whiter than white were his expense claims.
Pensioners have been imprisoned for inability to pay their council tax, whilst our politicians have their noses in the trough.
Do the decent thing Mr Chaytor and seek the Chiltern hundreds---no doubt you will get a large pension
Oliver Cromwell, Gwespyr says...
6:23pm Sat 16 May 09
irp5059, Radcliffe says...
6:26pm Sat 16 May 09
it's like a bank robber appearing on crimewatch and then saying when they got caught...sorry..here
's your money back..lets forget the whole thing..
Cathpoll, Bury says...
6:28pm Sat 16 May 09
Crassus, Egerton says...
7:17pm Sat 16 May 09
Petrena, Bury says...
8:38pm Sat 16 May 09
chipshaker, Army Bay, NZ says...
9:45pm Sat 16 May 09
Who on earth forgets they don't have a mortgage? That in itself speaks volumes. And they wonder why fewer and fewer people are voting these days?
David Nuttall, Tottington says...
10:26pm Sat 16 May 09
friend2no1, Bury says...
10:40pm Sat 16 May 09
The law should be unbiased and he should soon be behind bars for Theft/Fraud/False accounting, The same way a Benefits cheat would be sentenced.
friend2no1, Bury says...
11:23pm Sat 16 May 09
email direct.
chaytord@parliament.
uk
taxpayer100, bury says...
11:03am Sun 17 May 09
resistance, rammy says...
11:38am Sun 17 May 09
I'll be voting for you in the next election. Tories have done some stupid claims like moat cleaning, and the BBC is reporting such claims because they can't just attack the Labour party, but to me the Labour party's expenses scandals are much much more henious. Its calculated fraud. Trying to do over the system. The tories are just claiming for silly eccentric things that they think are a right. Same with the Libs. If you can replace Chaytor and be an honourable M.P then I vote for you. Chaytor has brought this town in to disrepute.
Room4More, Rammy says...
12:26pm Sun 17 May 09
This is fraud and they should all go to jail. Spare no one or democracy is dead.
However I think a similar investigation into our councillors may unearth some errors we don't like?
Oliver Cromwell, Gwespyr says...
1:01pm Sun 17 May 09
Oliver Cromwell, Gwespyr says...
1:05pm Sun 17 May 09
tosh, westhoughton says...
2:17pm Sun 17 May 09
CHAYTOR IS NOT A VICTIM!!! WE THE TAXPAYERS ARE THE VICTIMS!!
Ian works to live, Ainsworth Bury says...
3:22pm Sun 17 May 09
battleleader12, bury says...
5:31pm Sun 17 May 09
bbs, bolton says...
6:06pm Sun 17 May 09
m spanner, Bury says...
6:55pm Sun 17 May 09
friend2no1, Bury says...
9:07pm Sun 17 May 09
m spanner wrote:Just tried your suggestion. Spot-on really, Says it all.
If you think it is funny that Chaytor comes back as cheater in a spell check, type GORDON BROWN IS into a drop-down google menu. It couldn't be more prophetic
Shane, Bury says...
9:41pm Sun 17 May 09
David Nuttall wrote:David.. Nice letter but somehow I don't think you will have any trouble getting elected next time. I think Chaytor would even probably vote for you. Thats is of course if they change the law to allow people in prison the right to vote!
As the Prospective Conservative M.P. for Bury North can I just say how saddened I am that so many people in Bury, Ramsbottom and Tottington will feel let down by these revelations on expenses. I can fully appreciate why people may think all politicians are the same I can only say what I will do if I am elected. I will always keep my home here in Tottington as my main home. I will not keep changing my main home just to claim expenses. I will never claim for food, furniture or household goods. I should add that at the moment M.P.'s can also claim £10,000 as a Communications Allowance which is used for leaflets. I can promise everyone that I will never claim any of this allowance and the next Conservative Government will abolish this Allowance to stop anyone from claiming it.
freetownlad, Bury says...
10:49pm Sun 17 May 09
It is easy to jump on the bandwagon as a prospective mp and say you will not do this and that but we will never know what he would have done given the chance. this is not robust electioneering it smacks of the same opportunism that is being alleged against all three main parties. THe saddest thing is that whilst all this is going on no one contrasts the greedy graspers with the mps who are beyond reproach like Dennis Skinner who takes only the minimum and does the maximum yet gets called rotten along with the rest
dw bury, BURY says...
10:52am Mon 18 May 09
Capel, Tottington says...
12:56pm Mon 18 May 09
The enquiry into Mr Chaytor will probably take years unless considerable police resources are diverted into the investigation. In the meantime he is unelectable. The Labour Party needs to find a new candidate to replace him and soon.
It will be a long time before the three main parties regain my trust and I would never vote for organisations like the BNP and UKIP - I find them sinister and creepy. So I would urge I want to urge honest, capable, hardworking, efficient and selfless people to consider standing for Parliament as Independent candidates.
mdavies11, Bury says...
1:35pm Mon 18 May 09
https://secure.dwp.g
ov.uk/benefitfraud/
Shane, Bury says...
9:33pm Mon 18 May 09
tor.org.uk/. Did anyone attend the Q&A sessions? In retrospect I'm sure we can think of a few choice questions.
"I welcome the Prime Minster’s decisive action this week in calling for a complete overhaul of the current arrangements for parliamentary allowances. I am not aware of anyone who thinks that the current system is sustainable in its present form. We need some basic changes that will ensure that the real costs of an effective parliamentary democracy are recognised whilst reassuring the public that the system is transparent and cannot be abused.
I know that my constituents want to be reassured that public money is being used correctly. Therefore I have decided to hold a Public Question Time in Bury at which anyone can come along and question me both about my own use of public funds and about the workings of the system as a whole.
The Question Time will take place at 6.30pm on Friday April 3rd in the Mosses Community Centre, Bury and a further session will be held after Easter. I would strongly recommend to my parliamentary colleagues that such a question time should become a normal part of our constituency duties. Anyone with specific questions to ask but who is not able to attend on Friday is welcome to email me on chaytord@parliament.
uk ."
paycut, tottington says...
9:58pm Mon 18 May 09
Crassus, Egerton says...
11:50am Tue 19 May 09
Mr Chaytor attending a press call earlier this year
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chipbutty, bolton says...
10:42am Sat 16 May 09
This trip to the US on the tax-payer, how can we find out if they travelled economy, business or first class?