IPSA is a national disgrace.
Instead of ensuring that MPs conform to rigidly high standards, this allegedly independent organisation has devoted itself to protecting offending Members from the law, engaging in one whitewash after another.
It is unfit for purpose.
Parliament’s expenses watchdog is using a procedural ruse to hide the identity of dozens of MPs who have been investigated for misusing public money.
Under rules set by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa), MPs under investigation for unjustified or fraudulent expense claims must be publicly identified.
But the organisation’s compliance officer, Peter Davis, has avoided naming individuals by carrying out detailed “assessments” of the complaints, denying they amount to formal “investigations”.
The loophole last week allowed Mr Davis to refer two MPs to the police over expenses fraud without ever launching a formal investigation, which would have triggered a public announcement.
It has also allowed other MPs to avoid publicity about using taxpayer-funded websites for party-political material by paying back website domain fees to Ipsa, or simply removing content from sites.
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
I wonder how many Tory Lites are being Blackmailed by this illegal practice? a simple way for the Tory dirt to obtain control of vital Labour Votes.
Well, no it isn’t. IPSA is not run by the government but is autonomous. The people working there seem to be covering up MPs’ misdemeanours without any good reason for doing so.
If they have found material they can use against those MPs, then they should face corruption charges (not to mention blackmail).
Everyone involved with politics and especially in government are shady, cannot trust a single one of them!
“IPSA is not run by the Government?” Oh dear. It’s like calling for “an independent Judge-led enquiry” into wrongdoing.
The Establishment is looking after The Establishment.
If the Parliamentary Standards Committee says it’r OK that’s perfectly fine, them?