By IAN DRURY Recepits containing ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair's expenses were shredded 'through incompetence' Tony Blair dodged possible fire over his housing deals after hundreds of expenses claims were 'accidentally' shredded. Documents itemising some of the then Prime Minister's receipts for 2001-02 were destroyed by Commons officials 'by mistake'. It covered a period when he claimed for Myrobella, his Sedgefield constituency home. It was already known that Mr Blair claimed £43,029 over a three-year period up to 2003-04.But it was not known what the money was spent on. The former Premier's financial affairs have long been under the spotlight. A receipt-by-receipt breakdown of his expenses claims published last year showed he had remortgaged Myrobella for £296,000, almost ten times what he paid for it, months before he bought a London town house for £3.65million. The details were only published following a four-year freedom of information battle. But the 'black hole' in Mr Blair expenses claims raise questions over what details the destroyed documents might have contained. To increase suspicions, Westminster officials shredded the files even though they were the subject to an ongoing legal challenge. Expenses campaigner Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrat, MP said: 'It seems terribly opportune that a sheaf of Tony Blair's expenses have been destroyed. 'This is either incompetence or obstruction of the Freedom of Information Act. It should be properly investigated to remove any concerns that someone has had a quiet word to ensure it happened.' Andrew Walker, the head of the Commons fees office which oversees expenses claims, has apologised for the blunder. He insists it occurred through 'incompetence, not intent'. Last year it emerged that Commons Speaker Michael Martin had allowed officials to destroy claim forms and receipts up to April 2005 - meaning thousands of expenses have been secretly shredded. But the authorities said the shredding was simply 'routine destruction' - and not a cover up. As a person who has long been in favour of transparency, I'm sure Mr Blair will quickly clear up this little problem, just as I am sure that when the enquiry into the Iraq war takes place, he will be the first to step forward. The B.Liars expenses were shredded,by mistake.....yeah right,does he think we all came down with the last shower. Some convenient accidental shredding Hmmmmm? Blair's £43,000 expenses were shredded 'by incompetence' Incompetence at present runs throughout the labour party but surely incompetence doesn't cover deliberately masking the truth, alot more like mission accomplished! It is obvious there is something suspect about Tony Blair - there is no way, he could afford to buy all those properties on a Prime Minister's salary. The figures just do not add up. The facts that the receipts were shredded is blatant fraud was happening in Blair's government.MPs' EXPENSES: Blair's £43,000 expenses were shredded 'by incompetence'
Last updated at 1:40 AM on 14th May 2009
You can bet your sweet life they paid for nothing out of their own pockets,that greedy porker he is wed to would make sure of that.
Friday, 15 May 2009
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accidentally??? pull the other one, it has bells on...
- Paul Cooke, Gloucester England, 14/5/2009 06:31