Our Scotland - www.our-scotland.org

Reluctant Hero

Have they all gone to the Wendy Alexander school of excuses?

"I'm sorry sir, I made an unintentional mistake, but it won't happen again."

It really is starting to look bad on the Westminster parliament.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7271179.stm

Party leaders declared gifts late

Tory leader David Cameron and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg are among 14 MPs facing a reprimand for declaring donations too late.
The Electoral Commission notes a £7,285 helicopter flight donated to Mr Cameron in 2005 and six donations worth £14,490 to Mr Clegg, dating back to 2006.

MPs have to register donations over £1,000 within 30 days.

Both Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg blamed an oversight and said they had reported the details to the Commons authorities.

The latest update from the Electoral Commission also includes two cash donations worth £7,400 to Chris Huhne - Mr Clegg's rival for the Lib Dem leadership - from November last year.

'Silly mistake'

Mr Cameron's helicopter ride was a gift from his father-in-law Viscount Astor, during his successful Tory leadership campaign. He admitted last month that it had been an oversight - although he had declared it on the Commons Register of Members' Interests.

His spokesman said: "As soon as this omission was brought to David's attention he corrected his entry in the Electoral Commission register."

I corrected it and of course it won't happen again

Nick Clegg
Lib Dem leader

Mr Clegg also told the BBC he had declared the six donations to the Register of Members Interests but due to a "silly mistake" had not done so to the Electoral Commission as well.

"I think I'm like many MPs - we are learning that declarations need to be made not only to one place but to two places and in this instance it didn't happen. I corrected it and of course it won't happen again."

The declaration process is expected to be simplified for MPs in future, so they do not have to "double report" gifts to both the Commons and the commission.

Instead the commission is likely to take data directly from the members' register.

Last week, Mr Clegg was reprimanded for being late in registering £15,000 in payments for his leadership campaign and Mr Cameron's constituency office was also rapped for declaring a £1,500 donation nearly two years late.

Electoral Commission chief executive Peter Wardle has said it is "unacceptable" that major parties keep reporting donations late - as it is "fundamental in ensuring transparency in our democracy".

The latest figures also show the Conservative MP Boris Johnson raised £87,600 towards his campaign to become mayor of London, between 18 January and 8 February - bringing his total to £339,000 since September.

_________________
Visit the Our Scotland Blog at http://our-scotland.blogspot.com/

Morph · Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:41 am Post subject:

it does look slightly better for Cameron on the grounds he only slipped up once. But Clegg may find it hard to prove he slipped up 6 times!
_________________
"An oppressive government is to be more feared than a tiger"

Corby Boy · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:30 pm Post subject:

A shower of sleazy ***** the lot of them.

The Scottish Government must stay squeaky clean if they wish to hold on to power long term.