Welsh Lib Dem MP Lembit Opik put council tax non-payment fee on expenses
LIB Dem housing spokesman Lembit Opik has said he will refund £40 he claimed for a court summons he received for not paying his council tax.
The Montgomeryshire MP's expenses claim was revealed by the Daily Telegraph newspaper as it turned its attention to members of his party.
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Lembit Opik
The Tory and Labour leaders have already promised action after claims by MPs in their parties were published by the newspaper in the past few days.
But the MP, who was once engaged to Neath weathergirl Sian Lloyd before dumping her for one half of the Cheeky Girls, attacked the paper for the way it had handled the news.
He said: "Sadly the Telegraph don't tell you that they sent me eight questions relating to about £30,000 of expenditure and all they have been left with is this £40.
"They don't tell you that my brother had died in November 2005 and funnily enough the council tax in London was not the highest thing on my mind at the time.
"The Telegraph have absolutely no empathy and no understanding, no willingness to give you the whole story, and that's tragic."
Mr Opik, the party's former housing spokesman, added: "I'm going to speak to the fees office and I'm certainly willing to refund it, if that's the right thing to do."
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said MPs should have to return any profits they made on their second homes to the taxpayer.
He said he had always intended to give back any profits that he made when he eventually came to sell up.
He said he could now be requiring members of his frontbench team to do the same until there were new rules in place.
"The greatest abuse in the system has been the ability for MPs to play the system for personal profit, avoiding capital gains tax, buying and selling properties as if they were property speculators rather than MPs."
8 Comments
by Ray, Clase Morriston
Sunday, May 17 2009, 10:22PM
“This Mp, as made enough money out of the taxpayer and as been caught with his hand in the public purse. So he should face prosecution along with the rest of them.And also the ones who work in the fees office should be prosecuted for adding and abetting along with Micheal Martin the "SPEAKER " because these persons knew what was going on and failed to stop it. The constituents who they represent should call public meetings and question these people not their political groups.”
by m.clarkel, swansea
Wednesday, May 13 2009, 1:35PM
“like his ex hes, cheeky person as well”
by Pete, Port Talbot
Wednesday, May 13 2009, 11:54AM
“Even if Opik thinks that the death of his brother is a reasonable excuse for forgetting to pay, that is NOT a reason to expect the taxpayer to then pay his fine for him! It was his mistake, nobody else's. And I find it hard to believe that someone with his income wouldn't have set up a direct debit anyway, or paid the lot off in one go. Another greedy pig caught with his snout in the trough, who thinks everyone is to blame except him.”
by clarysage50, Somerset
Wednesday, May 13 2009, 11:38AM
“Oh dear, my heart bleeds for Mr Lembik.......PAY IT BACK and don't quibble. We are not interested in excuses.”
by jezza, neath
Wednesday, May 13 2009, 11:10AM
“Peter - in France
Redact - not a word you often find on this blog. I like it, lets bring the standard up”
by Megan, Bonymaen/Swansea
Wednesday, May 13 2009, 10:28AM
“Whilst I have every sympathy with Mr Opik at the loss of his brother, I feel absolutely livid that he thinks that is a good reason for not paying his council tax. I have just lost my mother, (Her funeral was yesterday) and I would not even think twice about using that as an excuse for not paying a bill. Like many of us, if it had been on direct debit he would not have had to think about it anyway. In the meantime many of our children are facing losing their schools because the various councils do not have the money to keep them open. (I'm sure if all our councillors, A.M's, M.P's and M.E.P.'s were t give up their bonus's Most if not all of the schools in the U.K. would be up to scatch in no time.) Everyone else has to live by the book it seems but these Public servants can milk the system and live off of the hard earned money of the people they are supposed to be serving.”
by ANDREW, Swansea
Wednesday, May 13 2009, 10:18AM
“It is clear that many MP's have abused the system and that is the fault of the system and a lack of moral judgement by MPs themselves. However, where fraud can be proven, or deliberate tax avoidance or other illegal act, for however small the amount, MPs should be sacked and criminal proceedings brought against them - just as it would for any other member of the public.”
by Peter, Pezenas France
Wednesday, May 13 2009, 9:59AM
“"The Telegraph have absolutely no empathy and no understanding, no willingness to give you the whole story, and that's tragic." Mr Opik
So from Telegraph...
LO 'forced' to pay £ 2,550 claimed for TV.
Claimed £68,031 for his flat since 2004.
Salary £67,766
2nd home claims
2004-5 £14,206
2005-6 £14,865
2006-7 £16,237
2007-8 £23,803
"Nothing to hide- nothing to fear" so Mr. Ombik publish your full and frank expenses non-redacted.”