UK Politics
Terror in the tea room
Published 12 June 2008
Sleaze stories have Tories worried. But female MPs flock to Caroline Spelman's defence
After a week in which the unsuitable - some would say greedy - use of public funds by Tory MEPs has been highlighted, David Cameron has to do some serious sacking and backing. Revelations about parliamentary allowances being chanelled into family firms, employing relatives, and a transatlantic trip conveniently combining business with a wedding have produced fervent gossip in the Commons tea room about who may or may not have spent on what and why. Those who boast of low expenses trigger raised eyebrows from those who know they have personal wealth. "It has created levels of paranoia," says one recently elected MP, "especially among the new bunch." Sympathy for Euro MPs is low. "It's always been frustrating that they have better food, wine, weather and scams," says one backbencher. "It's about time they got found out." But he adds: "It is just a shame that it puts us so much in the spotlight now."
In terms of Westminster, one MP says: "There are over 600 intelligent and able people working here, many of whose previous jobs involved them getting round those tricky financial areas. A few may well succeed in being creative with their accountancy, it's cross-party." He points out a few obvious loop-holes. "Stationery catalogues that allow you to order more that just stationery, the petrol scam on travel [MPs with neighbouring constituencies share a car home and each claim for petrol], being clever with your mortgage."
Many feel, however, that the situation with the Tory party chairman, Caroline Spelman, is completely different and that Cameron has to stand up for her.
Eleven years ago Spelman had just become an MP, and employed an assistant who helped with childcare. Fellow female MPs insist that there is a difference between the use of allowances by MEPs and paying something towards an assistant-cum-nanny who allows someone to do the job she had been elected to do. They have gone very "Beyoncé" about the whole affair. The brewing consensus is: "If David doesn't sort this, it will let down quite a few women in the party."
Elected Tory females are quite willing to believe in Cameron's "Family comes first" campaign, but say that this is a test of whether it is genuine. "I am all too aware of the problem of being a mother and an MP," says one. "Caroline is the very last person to knowingly do something wrong. I work long hours and I see my PA as a friend as well as a colleague, she has collected prescriptions for my son and picked up my daughter from primary school on numerous occasions. It is ridiculous to think this might be unlawful behaviour."
In 2004 a female shadow minister turned up at a Tuesday morning meeting in Portcullis House 20 minutes late. She made her apology, explaining that a climbing frame for her son's birthday party was meant to be delivered early to her flat but that she had been called to say the delivery would be half an hour late. She arrived at the Commons and gave her assistant her keys to pop back home to sign for her son's present. Was this a waste of taxpayers' money?
Slightly Julie Andrews
Spelman has been a steady chairman, some have cruelly suggested quite bland, slightly Julie Andrews, but as one (male) MP said: "She was at the tiller last autumn during a stormy time when we were not in favour. Having someone like Caroline out there in the constituencies has worked well. David needs to sort this - he must give his MPs, particularly the women, the opportunity for us to lead a dedicated political and family-friendly existence."
Another MP was concerned for Spelman. "When I saw her on television at the weekend she was exhausted, her voice broke, she was like a rabbit caught in the headlights. But then this is childcare we are talking about, not second houses or elaborate frescoes."
There is a sense among Tory women that there needs to be a bit of give and take when a female MP, maybe with a child but without a husband in place, has to juggle the demands of home and work life. On entering parliament, says one high profile MP, her dining room became her constituency office for a time and everyone's role had to change. "We all mucked in, the kids filled envelopes, the nanny took calls, my husband made lunch as I wrote emails at the weekend. It's the nature of politics."
"This problem is going to take a while to clean-up," comments one MP. "Once Brown and Clegg insist on the same degree of expense clarity from their MEPs we will know just how much they have all been whooping it up in Brussels . . ." If the Tory gluttons are anything to go by, it doesn't look like it's quite Caligula in the Grand Place, but there will no doubt be a few less bottles of champagne served on the train back to St Pancras this weekend. And the mood of Westminster MPs will be equally restrained.
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