Lembit Opik lived with his then girlfriend Sian Lloyd while renting out his taxpayer-funded London home to his friend and party agent.They still don't get it do they? Just because it was approved by the Fees Office doesn't make thieving from the taxpayer ok. Just because it doesn't break Parliament's rules doesn't make it morally right to do.
Over seven years, the Liberal Democrat MP claimed £111,880 from the taxpayer for what he told Commons authorities was his second home.
But the Daily Mail has learned that for some of the time while he was claiming on the flat, Mr Opik was living with TV weather presenter Miss Lloyd at her London home.
During the first part of their four-year relationship, he is understood barely to have used his property - which was rented out to his friend and agent, David Selby, 56.
In the Commons Green Book, which governs expenses, MPs are 'strongly advised to avoid sub-letting any part of a property for which you claim the additional costs allowance'.
Mr Opik, 44, MP for Montgomeryshire, has insisted his arrangement was approved by the Commons Fees Office and there is no suggestion that he broke Parliament's rules.
Let's hope he's not MP for Montgomeryshire much longer.
Source: Daily Mail
2 Responses to “Lembit Opik's Nice Little Earner”
I thought I saw somewhere that the claims Lembit put into the fees office were adjusted to take account of the rent he received so that he gained nothing from the letting. I am open to be corrected if that is not the case.
If that's true I'll glady write a clarification. However that only clears up the rent issue, what about claiming for an apartment you weren't living in. Surely that's just as bad.
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