Oh dear. Following the spring statement, Labour have been keen to make political capital in recent days, touting their credentials as responsible guardians of the nation’s finances. Not for them, the financial mismanagement and sleaze of Boris Johnson’s Tories: Labour have been reborn as the party of fiscal probity. So it must have been with some dismay that shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves last month found herself being investigated by the parliamentary commissioner for standards over her entries in the register of members’ interests.
Now the commissioner, Kathryn Stone, has concluded her report into the MP for Leeds West. And it looks like that Stone may well be a reader of Steerpike’s columns as she has picked up on a certain donation to the shadow chancellor which caught the eye of Mr S. Reeves declared receiving £2,482 from Leeds company CEG to pay for her Christmas cards, a firm whose head of community liaison is herself a former Labour councillor. Now Stone has concluded that Reeves declared the donation outside of the 28-day timeframe for registration set by the House. She also did not register a donation from GMB Yorkshire for research work and a donation from millionaire Trever Chinn for research and writing services within the aforementioned deadline period. Whoops!
The commissioner concluded that Reeves did breach the MPs’ code of conduct but that in light of her apology, explanation and subsequent rectification, no further punishment will be necessary. Still, not exactly a good look from an MP aspiring to run the nation’s finances…
Comments