01 June 2013

Another Tory MP bites the dust

So it goes.  The Guardian reports:
The Conservative party was left reeling by sleaze allegations after an MP resigned from the parliamentary party for allegedly failing to declare thousands of pounds paid by a fake lobbying firm in a damaging journalistic sting.
Patrick Mercer, MP for Newark, stepped down from the party's whip after accepting £4,000 from undercover reporters posing as lobbyists. He failed to declare £2,000 of the money within parliamentary rules, it is understood.
What amazes is how little moolah it takes.  The Independent has more:
“I do not charge a great deal of money for these things,” he was reported as saying during a meeting. “I would normally come out at £500 per half day. So £1,000 a day.”
It's not exactly a significant mess of pottage.  But for such meagre returns, he was prepared to jeopardise his political career.  Inexplicable.

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