Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Labour MP to pay up for inappropriate use of Commons mail

Those of you who read my blog last week would have seen the entry about Dave Anderson, Labour MP for Blaydon in Gateshead (where I live), being reported by me to the Serjeant at Arms about a misuse of Commons stationery and first class mail.

A brief summary of what happens is: I was sent anonymously a copy of the letter Anderson sent out on Commons headed notepaper in prepaid first class Commons envelopes to Labour members drumming up support for Labour council candidates, slagging off people like me as "2nd rate" councillors and calling on Labour to remain united during the leadership contest; I then passed on the letter to the Serjeant at Arms to complain that this was not a proper use of Commons facilities.

Well, today, I was emailed the reply from the Serjeant at Arms. It reads as follows:

Complaint regarding use of Parliamentary Stationery by Dave Anderson MP

Further to my letter of 23 January I am now writing to update you on the above matter. I have now been in touch with Mr Anderson and he has agreed that the letter which was sent out to local Labour party members was not an appropriate use of House stationery and an investigation was carried out.

This was a genuine mistake by office staff and Mr Anderson has asked to be invoiced for the full use of this stationery. His administrative staff have been reminded of the rules governing the use of House stationery and pre-paid envelopes and this situation should not arise again.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. If you have any other queries regarding this matter please do not hesitate to contact me.


All just a dreadful mistake that has lumped Mr Anderson with a modest bill to pay!

5 comments:

Harry Barnes said...

On politics rather than peccadillos, you do know that Dave Anderson is one of the best MPs in the country - especially on the issues of Iraq and Northern Ireland where he has positive agendas which I hope you support.

Jonathan Wallace said...

Are we talking about the same person? Is this the same Dave Anderson who opposed the war before the election but who on 25th October 2006 came rushing to the support of the Blair government's line on Iraq, arging in Parliament against an inquiry and describing those who question the situation there as "armchair theorists, political opportunists or enemies of democracy". From going from an opponent of the war, he became a supporter of the occupation. After all that left wing posturing in Blaydon during the Labour selection and in the run up to the election in 2005, I guess a lot of Labour members here are a bit disappointed that Mr Anderson has turned out to be such a Blairite loyalist.

Nich Starling said...

I note that Harry Barnes is a member of "Labour Friends of Iraq". It might make many in Iraq as with friends like Labour, who needs enemies.

Jonathan, you are right to highlight the duplicity of Dave Anderson. Well done.

Matthew of Sunny Swindon said...

Well done Jonathan in highlighting the abuses of Labour MPs.

I find it astonishing that he blames his own team of political staff.

Does he not know what his own employees are doing? And laughably when he says he will find this mistake, I bet it still comes out of his MP expenses and not his pocket.

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