David Laws in expenses scandal with gay lover
On 28 May 2010, the Daily Telegraph newspaper claimed that David Laws had claimed over £40,000 on his expenses in the form of second home costs, from 2004 to late 2009,during which time he had been renting rooms at properties owned by what the paper claimed to be his “secret lover” and “long-term partner”, James Lundie.
David Laws was at the time, Chief Secretary to the Treasury. To be involved in an expenses fraud in this position in office cannot be made up. It is an extrmely serious situation, however no charges were brought as politicians close rank and brush everything under the carpet.
It seems the Liberal Democrats are coming apart at the seams, now they are open to scrutiny. I for one feel i completely wasted my vote in choosing Lib Dems.
They were not in a civil partnership. But they were in a long term relationship. ‘Laws’ (no punn intended) is bending all the rules to say because he is a gay lover , he doesn’t constitute a ‘partner’. The Daily Telegraph also said that it had not intended to reveal his sexuality, but that Laws had himself done so, in a public statement shortly before the newspaper’s publication of the story. Lundie is a former Liberal Democrat Press officer and now works for the Political Affairs team of public relations and lobbying firm, Edelman.
Behind Bars
According to the Telegraph, Laws claimed between £700 and £950 a month rent between 2004 and 2007, plus typically £100 to £200 a month for maintenance, to sub-let a room in a flat owned and lived in by his partner in Kennington, South London. After the flat was sold for a profit of £193,000 in 2007, Laws’s partner bought a nearby house for £510,000. Laws then began claiming rent for the “second bedroom” in this property, at a cost of £920 a month, until September 2009. Laws, whose main home is in Chard in his Yeovil constituency, and has a holiday home in Provence, France; then began renting another flat. This flat was not owned by his partner, who remained at the Kennington house. Since 2006, parliamentary rules have banned MPs from “leasing accommodation from…a partner.”
A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said: “The Prime Minister has been made aware of this situation and he agrees with David Laws’s decision to refer himself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.”
Laws resigned as Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 29 May 2010, stating that he could not carry on working on the spending review while dealing with the private and public implications of the revelations. He also stated that his reason for the way he had claimed expenses had been to keep private details of his sexuality and that he had not benefitted financially from this misdirection.
No, but his lover did. Laws was already a multi millionaire from his banking days. His claims that James Lundie was not his recognised partner as they didn’t have a civil partnership are false in our opinion.
In any other industry or career, Laws could expect criminal charges. He has walked free. You need to decide what sort of government and people you want in charge in this country. Do you feel this is acceptable? Make your voice heard.