Posted by 
Either he has completely lost touch with reality, or he has resigned himself to defeat at the next general election and just wants to keep his hands on ?11,000.
Whichever you choose to believe, it is clear to me that the Labour MP for Gillingham and Rainham, Paul Clark, has lost touch with his constituents after his expenses claims were revealed.
In the independent report by Sir Thomas Legg, it was stated of Mr Clark that: “[i]n default of evidence to support payments for mortgage interest of ?11,750.35 for 2008-09, I must regard these payments as having been invalid. Accordingly my recommendation is that Mr Clark should repay the whole of this sum”.
Mr Clark responded, via press release, on his website, essentially saying that he will not be paying back the money he overclaimed.
Unsurprisingly, and rather justly, Mr Clark’s behaviour and attitude has been .met with disgust, with opposition candidates and activists, divided by party, yet united by indignation.
Residents in Gillingham and Rainha.m will feel the same – and with only a few months until he is likely to be voted out of a job, is showing disgraceful disrespect to his employers.
Mr Clark is showing exactly why we need a change in British politics – before people are put off permanently.
He needs to pay back the money, before his days in Parliament are up – which will not be long:
People in Gillingham and Rainham have lost trust and faith in their MP!
If you liked this post, please donate. A portion of your donation will go to charity.Related posts
Your post does not go far enough. What he has shown to the constituents of G&R is that he hs shown the complete disregard for Legg’s review of expenses, and merely missed the deadline for submitting support through ignorance and disregard for the system. No doubt he will appeal and find the paperwork, and gain a bit of profile in the local papers (all in bed with local Labour representatives!) and reassert himself as the ‘local lad’ however a larger question is why does he have to have a lavish (?12,000) mortgage interest only paid by the taxpayer, since 1997!. He’s played the system, and enjoyed it. He must have a large property in London, when the average resident in G&R has struggled in the longest recessionon record caused by the excesses of the Labour party. G&R is less than an hour to London by train, the MP should commute like all other residents, and if work finishes late then local hotels should be used! Constituents of G&R need to remember this at the ballot box.
Well said Alan, but I’m wondering if you’re man Mr Chishti is setting out a clear mandate like Andy Stamp (http://www.andystamp.org.uk/news/000021/andy_stamp_launches_contract_with_voters_to_clean_up_politics.html). I’m sure the voters would welcome Mr Chishti signing up if he agrees practices need to change following the MP’s expenses scandal.
Paul clearly expressed that he had abided by the rules at the time, which had subsequently changed, making Legg’s words valid, but not in response to what Paul had done. Don’t be so ridiculously unfair. He’s never demonstrated anything which would suggest that he is acting disrespectfully to his constituents.
The electorate in Gillingham and Rainham will be extremely disappointed in Paul Clarke, and I would fully expect that even his own campaign team must now be considering third place a distinct possibility, let alone returning him as MP.
It is insulting really that Medway residents have had to pay hundreds of pounds in train fare increases year after year whilst our Medway Labour MPs have been given thousands to buy second homes in London and elsewhere. If we have to sufffer the commute, every day, why shouldn’t they?
Now is the time to clean up Parliament and I agree with GFC, that all candidates in Gillingham and Rainham should follow Andy Stamp’s example and set out a clear statement about how they will achieve this and what promises they will make to the electorate
(http://www.andystamp.org.uk/news/000021/andy_stamp_launches_contract_with_voters_to_clean_up_politics.html).