David Wilshire steps down after Daily Telegraph savages Spelthorne MP for expenses abuse

10.16.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 15th Oct 2009

David Wilshire has been forced to stand down at the next election after the Tory-supporting Daily Telegraph attacked him for abusing the House of Commons expenses system by paying for "research services" from a company he owns. He is reported as having claimed over £105k in 3 year period.

David Wilshire was listed as one of the top expense claiming MPs despite having a constituency right on the borders of Greater London. In the past he has claimed:

• The maximum possible second home allowance - he has three homes, none of which are in Spelthorne

• Routinely claimed the maximum petty cash allowance of £250 per month for which he has to produce no justification or receipts

• Maximum food allowances

• Very high other expenses

He is now accused of paying money for research services to a company that he "owns" but which is reported as not even legally existing. The MP has claimed that this arrangement was approved by the House of Commons fees office.

In short our local MP has done his best to claim everything he could within the generous House of Commons rules. Now that people are taking a realistic look at what is reasonable, the behaviour of MPs like David Wilshire cannot be condoned.

He has refused to hold a local public meeting about his expenses, presumably because he knows what the public feel about his behaviour already. It is well known that elements within the local Conservative Party would have liked to deselect him as the candidate, but in the end they just couldn't bring themselves to do it. It makes you wonder what he would have to have done to be unacceptable to Spelthorne Conservatives.

Local Liberal Democrats deplore his behaviour both in respect of the allowances he has claimed and in the way he has responded to the situation. We do not believe or wish to suggest that Mr Wilshire has done anything illegal but we have been shocked by the degree to which he has taken advantage of the expenses system. We have always been dissatisfied with his level of activity within the constituency and we believe that has he represented very poor value for money for the people of Spelthorne for many years.

No Greater London Liberal Democrat MP makes a second home allowance claim - its only common sense: if you live close to Westminster why do you need a second home?

Related Link:

Daily Telegraph reports local criticism of MP and demands that he pay back expenses