Yesterday the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner ruled that Wiggin was guilty of a “serious” breach of the rules for claiming thousands of pounds in expenses “he did not actually incur”. He has been told to pay back £4,000.
What are the odds that troughing Wiggin will still be in Westminster at the half way stage?
David Cameron talks to GMTV
Last updated: 3 Jun 2009
David Cameron
AC: And now we've got another one here, we've got Bill Wiggin who has claimed money for a mortgage that doesn't exist, or didn't exist. What's your view on that one? If Sir Peter is gone, surely Bill Wiggin must follow – he's a whip.
DC: Well in this case I'm not sure the Telegraph have got this right. I mean my team went through with Bill Wiggin very carefully yesterday what has happened. He has given us every assurance that every penny he claimed should have been claimed and it does look like it is – look it's a bad mistake – but it looks like it's an honest mistake and he was not claiming money that he wasn't entitled to. Now if he was, that would be totally different and he would be out of the door. But my understanding is...
AC: He signed 23 statements for Parliamentary officials to claim that his second home was in Herefordshire – and it wasn't, it was in London.
DC: Well he has two homes because he's a Member of Parliament representing a Herefordshire seat and so his family live both in Herefordshire and in London. He made what I understand is an honest mistake. If it wasn't an honest mistake – he would be out the door as well, be it no doubt about it.
Read more at www.gm.tv
It was an honest cheating claim.
ReplyDelete