MP asked for details of life before politics
By Ian Dunt
Of the many ramifications of letters from Sir Thomas Legg’s letters to MPs, Julia Goldsworthy’s was perhaps the most unforeseen.
With her colleagues around her being asked to provide further details of their allowances, or being called on to pay back money, the member of parliament for Falmouth and Camborne found herself in a more unique position.
Sir Thomas had asked her to provide details of her mortgage from before she became an MP.
“I have received my letter from the Legg committee,” she wrote on her website last night.
“His only provisional conclusion is that I should provide a mortgage statement for the year 2004/05. I will be contacting him immediately to request clarification, as I was not elected as an MP at that time.
“I have always welcomed the independent scrutiny of MPs’ allowances, and will cooperate fully to ensure any issues that [the] Legg committee raises are fully addressed.”
The request provides welcome comic relief on a day when parliament again finds itself paralysed by the expenses scandal.
Party leaders are urging their MPs to pay back what is required of them, with Gordon Brown telling MPs it “does not bring into question their conduct” and David Cameron making payback a party membership issue.
