THE Prime Minister is facing calls to suspend the whip from a minister while claims he used his taxpayer-funded constituency office to campaign for the Conservative Party are reviewed.
Pensions minister Paul Maynard has been referred to an investigator by the Parliamentary expenses watchdog over reports he charged taxpayers when producing political materials.
The story, which was first reported by The Sunday Times, said the Blackpool North and Cleveleys MP claimed rent for an office that doubles up as his local Tory association’s headquarters.
The Liberal Democrats have urged Rishi Sunak (below) to suspend the Tory whip from Maynard while “these extremely serious allegations are investigated” while Labour have said that the allegations “must be thoroughly investigated”.
Maynard had told an activist in his local Tory constituency party that it “made no sense” to create a separate office for political activity and would not be a “good use” of party funds, according to The Sunday Times.
Since his election in 2010, Maynard — who was made a minister in the Department for Work and Pensions in November by Sunak — has spent £106,000 on printing and related costs, a bill that is higher than any Tory MP on record, according to analysis by the newspaper.
The local party officer told the newspaper she became concerned when discovering that the constituency association did not have a return address, before later being invited to a local party meeting held at Maynard’s office.
According to the report, the owners of the office charge rent of £8220 annually, granting Maynard use of an office and boardroom.
He is said to have submitted invoices to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), the expenses watchdog, which then pays the rent.
Donors wanting to give money to the local party had to deposit money in Maynard’s own bank account or that of his chief of staff, the report states.
IPSA, the watchdog established after the 2009 MPs’ expenses scandal, states that all claims submitted by lawmakers must follow four principles, with one of them being that they can “only claim for expenditure for parliamentary purposes”.
They must also adhere to the MPs’ Code of Conduct, including the seven principles of public life – which include openness and honesty.
An IPSA spokesperson said: “We will be referring this matter to IPSA’s compliance officer.”
IPSA said it would be up to the compliance officer to establish the facts of the case before deciding whether to conduct an investigation into the claims.
The watchdog said MPs can use their offices for party political purposes as long as it is part of a pre-agreed sub-letting agreement.
In a statement issued to The Sunday Times, Maynard said there were “financial agreements in place with IPSA over the ad-hoc use of my constituency office by the local Conservative Association”.
He told the newspaper: “I believe that these arrangements are appropriate, but will be seeking clarification from IPSA to ensure this is the case.
“I will, of course, abide by any findings they make and ensure that any payments deemed necessary can be made promptly.”
Sunak is already facing a potential by-election contest in Blackpool after an MP was caught in a lobbying sting.
Blackpool South MP Scott Benton was caught by The Times offering to lobby ministers and table parliamentary questions on behalf of gambling investors.
Benton (above) has said he will appeal against a recommended 35-day suspension made by the Commons Standards Committee.
If the Commons backs the punishment, it could leave the former Tory MP – who was stripped of the whip after the allegations surfaced – facing a by-election.
