She's not done anything illegal.
Nor has she broken any rules.

MPs have to keep a place in their constituencies, and a place at Westminster. Without that, they couldn't do their jobs. They also ought to have it paid for - without that, only the rich could be MPs.

There is no scandal here. Note that she was reported to David Cameron, not the police.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 23 Feb 2009, 20:29, 3 replies)

I like this.

( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Mon 23 Feb 2009, 20:43, closed)

It's not that
It's that she's reversed it. Instead of the taxpayer picking up the tab for the Westminster bedroom she rents off her sister to attend parliament, she instead insists that's her primary residence and makes the taxpayer fork out for her 5 bedroom detached house in her constituency.

Even that might be barely swallowable if the bedroom WAS her primary residence. The story is that her neighbours have reported her because it ISN'T.

She HAS broken the rules by fraudulently claiming she lives somewhere she doesn't. And her eagerness to have us all shop the fraudster next door is what has done her in.

If in five years time she is not a tuppence-hapenny crack whore, there is no justice*.

*may not necessarily constitute justice
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Mon 23 Feb 2009, 20:50, closed)

But...
... the rules state that it's up to the MP to declare which is the primary, and which the secondary residence.

As far as I've seen, there's been no evidence of fraud. What there has been is a politically-motivated pile-in, in which someone making a suggestion is treated as a scandal, irrespective of whether there's any grounds.

As for her rarely being in... well, so what?
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Tue 24 Feb 2009, 9:20, closed)

As far as I'm aware
(my sister works for an MP)

their primary residence is the one they spend more nights in than any other. I don't think the MPs get to choose as such.

She is being called out on it because she doesn't spend the majority of her time there, and thus the place where her husband and kids live is her primary residence.

If she hasn't broken the letter of the rules then she's definitely broken the spirit of them. Sadly I don't expect her to resign over it, as she will never under any circumstances accept that she's wrong about anything. The woman is dangerously unhinged, one of the worst out of a bad lot in the current government.
(Son of Sam-i-am We're all as mad as hatters here, Tue 24 Feb 2009, 9:36, closed)

I'm fairly sure they do get to choose...
I agree with you that she's one of the madder members of the current cabinet... but this isn't a resigning matter.


I almost worked for an MP once. I rang about a job advertised in The Times. "Office of Anne Widdecombe", said the man at the other end of the line...

I put down the phone.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Tue 24 Feb 2009, 10:52, closed)

Right, after a bit of digging I found it!
The Green Book - Parliamentary Salaries, Allowances and Pensions (pdf)

The pages on the Additional Costs Allowance are pretty vague (I suppose they don't want to shoot themselves in the foot too much), but:

"3.11.1. Definitions

Main home

When you enter Parliament we will ask you to give the address of your main UK home on form ACA1 for the purposes of ACA and travel entitlements.

Members are expected to locate their main homes in the UK. It is your responsibility to tell us if your main home changes. This will remain your main home unless you tell us otherwise. The location of your main home will normally be a matter of fact. If you have more than one home, your main home will normally be the one where you spend more nights than any other. If there is any doubt about which is your main home, please consult the Department of Finance and Administration."

The following is also quite amusing:

"3.3.1. Principles

You must ensure that arrangements for your ACA claims are above reproach and that there can be no grounds for a suggestion of misuse of public money. Members should bear in mind the need to obtain value for money from accommodation, goods or services funded from the allowances.

3.3.2.
You must avoid any arrangement which may give rise to an accusation that you are, or someone close to you is, obtaining an immediate benefit or subsidy from public funds or that public money is being diverted for the benefit of a political organisation."

Burn the witch, I say!
(Son of Sam-i-am We're all as mad as hatters here, Tue 24 Feb 2009, 12:17, closed)

Errr...
she HAS broken the rules. Check the voting register - she voted twice - from both places. That's illegal. She can't be resident in BOTH constituencies.
(dchurch bah, Tue 24 Feb 2009, 7:56, closed)

Depends on the election.
For local elections, the rules're different.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Tue 24 Feb 2009, 9:17, closed)