Are Tory MPs illegally using taxpayers’ cash to fund a secretive hard-Brexit group?

“The people have spoken” but apparently some Tories don’t want to listen [Image: Avaaz].

If you don’t know about the Tories who are funding a pressure group to force Theresa May into delivering ‘hard’ Brexit no matter what the people want, then you must read this.

Here’s Open Democracy:

Senior MPs including Liam Fox, Andrea Leadsom and Jacob Rees-Mogg have used their expenses to fund a ‘party within a party’ inside Westminster – effectively holding the government hostage over its negotiations with the EU.

Taxpayers’ money is being used to fund an influential group of hard-line pro-Brexit Conservative MPs who are increasingly operating as a “party-within-a-party”.

Despite expenses rules stating that MPs cannot claim for research or work “done for, or on behalf of, a political party”, the European Research Group has received over a quarter of a million pounds from MPs who claimed the public cash through their official expenses.

The ERG, according to its current chair, MP Suella Fernandes, exists to ensure that Brexit will not be rendered “meaningless”. The group, regarded as an 80-strong private Tory caucus, wants Britain out of the EU single market and customs union. Its previous head, Steve Baker, now a minister in the Department for Exiting the European Union, said his group aimed to end EU’s “despotism” and give Britain back its borders.

Forty MPs have paid money to the ERG and claimed it back as ‘research’ over the period covering the David Cameron and Theresa May governments. These include current ministers and members of May’s cabinet.

But the true number could be higher. Other MPs regarded as ERG members have claimed expenses for “research services” on European issues without specifying the ERG.

Source: Revealed: The Tory MPs using taxpayers’ cash to fund a secretive hard-Brexit group | openDemocracy


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6 thoughts on “Are Tory MPs illegally using taxpayers’ cash to fund a secretive hard-Brexit group?

  1. Dez

    The Elites rule ok. At least they are being flushed out from under their stones.
    Not sure their financial shinanigans are the correct and honest way to go about it…they could also borrow some of the honest cash off Tony and Peter M

  2. Barry Davies

    The so called hard brexit. or more accurately named leave, is what we voted for, the inaccurately named soft brexit is remaining all but name, making it sound nice and fluffy might cheer up the minority but the majority are all to away that the project ear brigade are still pretending being in the eu is good thing.

    1. Mike Sivier Post author

      Being in the EU is a good thing.
      Leaving is a huge mistake.
      See if I turn out to be wrong!

  3. NMac

    It me that Liam Fox was not charged and put before the Courts for Misconduct in a Public Office/Official Secrets Act offences relating to his antic with Adam Werritty. These hard-line right wing Tories are delusional, and they have scant regard for the law – unless of course it suits their interests.

Comments are closed.