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There are strict rules which preclude using taxpayer funded staff to provide MPs with political campaigning support.
"It is clear that Labour’s West Midlands mayoral candidate has not just crossed that line, but driven a coach and horses through it.'' https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/conservative-accuses-labour-mayor-candidate-20448817
"It is clear that Labour’s West Midlands mayoral candidate has not just crossed that line, but driven a coach and horses through it.'' https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/conservative-accuses-labour-mayor-candidate-20448817
Labour mayor candidate Liam Byrne faces an investigation from the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, over claims that he misused public funds to support his campaign.
A complaint has been made by Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen. #StarmerOut
A complaint has been made by Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen. #StarmerOut
Mr Byrne is the Labour MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill. MPs are provided with resources, including offices, equipment & funding to pay staff salaries, to help them in the Parliamentary work. Rules state that the resources can only be used "in support of their parliamentary duties"
They should not be used to "confer undue advantage on a political organisation".
Mr Bridgen claims that Mr Byrne used Parliamentary resources to support his Mayoral election campaign, which would be against the rules. #StarmerOut
Mr Bridgen claims that Mr Byrne used Parliamentary resources to support his Mayoral election campaign, which would be against the rules. #StarmerOut
He says Mr Byrne uses his Parliamentary e-mail address on his campaign website & has commissioned research from the HoC library for use in the mayoral campaign.
He has written to both the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards & to IPSA, the Independent Authority. #StarmerOut
He has written to both the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards & to IPSA, the Independent Authority. #StarmerOut
SKWAWKBOX originally reported about the start of the situation on 11th April - Right-wing Labour MP and West Midlands metro mayor candidate Liam Byrne is using his publicly-funded parliamentary staff to run his mayoral campaign. #StarmerOut #LabourLeaks https://skwawkbox.org/2021/04/11/exclusive-byrne-using-parliamentary-staff-for-mayoral-campaign-after-half-team-quits/
Skwawkbox was told; Basically half his team have left and the rest are his parliamentary staff and he’s making them work full-time on the mayoral election [which is] not parliamentary work. He also owes a former staffer more than £11k in unpaid wages. #StarmerOut
The former staffer pleaded with the party:
''I fear now that, as Liam intends to leave Parliament whether or not he wins or loses in the May election, with him will go any chance of reclaiming my lost wage'' #StarmerOut
''I fear now that, as Liam intends to leave Parliament whether or not he wins or loses in the May election, with him will go any chance of reclaiming my lost wage'' #StarmerOut
2013; Byrne has repeatedly talked tough on unemployment, using the right-wing tactic of blaming the unemployed for their own situation, rather than looking to the actual economic causes. Instead of criticising Duncan Smith's incompetence, he backs him up with "scrounger" rhetoric
2010; Liam Byrne, the man who left that idiotic note for David Laws, which stated "Dear chief secretary, I'm afraid to tell you there's no money left". This was perfect ammunition for the Tory party mantra of "Labour wrecked the economy". #StarmerOut https://anotherangryvoice.blogspot.com/2013/03/liam-byrne-labour-liability.html
In 2008, an 11-page memo by Byrne entitled "Working With Liam Byrne" was leaked to the press. In the memo, he listed his demands from his staff, memorably including his requirement for a cappuccino on his arrival in the office, soup between 12:30 pm & 1 pm & an espresso at 3 pm
Byrne told staff to tell him "not what you think I should know, but you expect I will get asked." Warning they should "Never put anything to me unless you understand it and can explain it to me in 60 seconds... If I see things that are not of acceptable quality, I will blame you"
Latest; A crowdfund set up by Labour's candidate for West Midlands mayor Liam Byrne to help fund his mayoral campaign has seen only eight people donate and in the five months since it started it has raised just £735 of its £5,000 target. #StarmerOut https://skwawkbox.org/2021/04/24/byrnes-w-mids-mayoral-campaign-crowdfund-raises-just-735-since-nov-and-complaint-lodged-about-use-of-parliamentary-staff-on-campaign/
Donors to Liam Byrne, co-founder of right-wing pressure group Progress, include controversial former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, whose expense claims while a minister were described as ‘near fraudulent’ by a former chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. #StarmerOut
