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The last time I saw David Chaytor was about 18 months ago as he left a meeting of the Bury Committee for Climate Change. He explained he would be absent from the following session as he was going on a foreign Parliamentary fact-finding trip. As I watched his lean, elegant figure pass through the door, I mused how good it must feel to be ‘Mr Chaytor’.

Hmm! So beleagured has The MP for Bury North since become that - to my horror! - he has decided to continue his damage-limitation campaign on Facebook.

This is what he says:

“As you may know, The Daily Telegraph has made a number of allegations regarding claims I have made from the Additional Costs Allowance. These allegations have understandably led to a great deal of concern and anger among my constituents, which I sincerely regret.

I would like to emphasise that I was completely unaware that I had made this mistake until I was contacted by The Daily Telegraph. At no time has it ever been my intention to make wrongful claims from the Additional Cost Allowance.

As soon as the allegations were brought to my attention, I checked the facts and realised that I had made a profound error in my accounting procedures, relating to my mortgage interest payments. I have fully acknowledged this mistake and apologise unreservedly. I will act immediately to ensure any repayment due is made to the Fees Office.

However, I fully recognise that I was at fault in not ensuring that all my records were accurate. I have therefore referred myself to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.

I have copied below the statement which I released to the media yesterday, for your information. I would have preferred to be able to give a fuller explanation immediately, but have since been advised that, as I have referred myself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, it is not appropriate to say any more at this time before the PCS is able to complete his investigation into the allegations.
Yours sincerely
David Chaytor

“Statement to the Media:
I welcome the decision of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards to accept my self-referral and to investigate the allegations that were made about me in a national newspaper last weekend.

I fully recognise that there has been an error in respect of a particular claim against parliamentary allowances in the year 2005/6.

Once I was made aware of the allegations and was able to check the relevant details, I acknowledged the error immediately, apologised unreservedly, and accepted full personal responsibility for the error and for correcting it. I then referred myself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and took immediate steps to ensure that any overpayment would be repaid.

I am confident that I can clear my name and will cooperate fully with the Commissioner’s investigation.

I know that the news last weekend will have come as an enormous shock to my local party and my constituents in Bury North. Quite understandably, many people will have been deeply angered by what they heard last weekend. I want to apologise unreservedly for the problems that have been caused by my error.

I also want to thank the enormous number of people who have sent me messages of support and understanding during the last few days – I deeply appreciate and value their kind words.

At the same time, I am determined to clear my name. I will cooperate fully with any investigation and will now assemble all the evidence necessary to refute the allegation.”

I am not among those offering Mr Chaytor succour and resent most deeply that he has chosen what is supposed to be a social forum as a platform for his attempt to clear his name. As far as I am concerned he and others embroiled in the expenses scandal are only sorry they have been exposed.

At home - quite aside from the political panto - we often debate how public monies should be handled. Invariably we agree that whether it be H.M. Treasury or the kitty of the Acacia Avenue Ladies Knitting Circle, once money is ‘pooled’ for general purpose, it belongs to ‘everyone’ NOT  ‘no-one’ and should be treated with more, not less care than individuals treat personal finances. Members of Parliament are like Ceasar’s Wife and their probity should be above suspicion.

Sadly though, I don’t think the nation’s own face will be saved by the wishy-washy, smashy-nicey English Democrats Party (video above). The British National Party is as nasty and brutish as maybe, but at least it’s interesting!

Nor do I think we’ll be helped by the can-do rhetoric of the likes of Esther Rantzen and Terry Waite who are talented, do-gooding busy-bodies - not politicians.

The latter are a breed born, not made and - please excuse the risible analogy - have a vocation that is almost ‘religious’ of its type.

Heaven only knows who or what will fill the chasm left by the scoundrels forced out of office by the expenses scandal but as Nature is known to abhore a vacuum, we must hope that it will be filled while we stifle a stretched-out yawn.

msniw

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