Councillor Graham Longley, the Liberal Democrat prospective Parliamentary candidate for Rochford and Southend East, has published an open letter to the incumbent MP James Duddridge.
Mr Duddridge, who has received some criticism for using MP expenses for mortgage payments and refurbishments on both his homes, has been largely backed by his constituents over the MP expenses row.
Mr Longley, however, has doubts about Mr Duddridge’s commitment to paying back any money his constituents feel was spent unwisely, and has called on his rival to pay back £7,000 worth of claims.
He writes on the Southend Liberal Democrat’s website:
“Dear James,
“The last few weeks must have been fairly difficult to cope with especially over the matter of parliamentary expenses.
“As your opponent for the next General Election it would have been very easy to make capital out of your situation but in fact I have not needed to do so – the press have stirred the water enough without my help and the local residents are clearly not happy.
“Your Evening Echo feature on Friday went a long way to explaining your position especially as a new Member of Parliament still learning the ‘ropes’ and you were clear in your statement that you would be prepared to ‘pay back’ the money you spent on the first flat which I believe you openly told me you are renting out.
“Your words quoted in the Echo were ‘I would consider repaying it. Certainly if the scrutiny panel said I should and if the independent review body said it was wrong.’
“The implication of course in that sentence is that you might not pay it back!
“It would be my belief, from the people I have spoken to in the constituency that the electors would consider that, unacceptable especially as you are, one assumes receiving rental income.
“In order to avoid further confrontation might I suggest that you do away with the uncertainty and pay back immediately, like other members caught in the same trap, the £7,000 referred to.
“As I said earlier James, I have stayed out of the argument but your uncertainty leads me to make this one entry into the discussion and to formally ask you to repay the sum referred to with a view to clearing away this lingering problem which if you wait for the scrutiny panels and independent review body will only fester further.”
