Cable defends his embattled MPS over election expenses allegations
Vince Cable defended his two MPS embroiled in expenses rows when the Lib Dem leader came to Scotland last night.
On a visit to Edinburgh, Mr Cable said neither his deputy Jo Swinson nor their colleague Christine Jardine had done anything wrong despite questions being asked over their general election spending.
He said: “My understanding is that it is absolutely, completely above reproach. There is no question of any impropriety. It is a complex process apportioning costs, but as a party we have followed advice. There is no question of having done anything wrong whatever – there is nothing to apologise for.”
Questions were yesterday raised over the election expenses of Edinburgh West MP Ms Jardine. They followed accusations that deputy leader Ms Swinson had omitted thousands of pounds from her spending total in East Dunbartonshire.
Reports yesterday claimed Ms Jardine allocated a third of her election material bill to national spending, because it promoted the Lib Dems rather than her specifically as the local candidate.
Mr Cable also said that offering free tuition fees for higher education in Scotland was clearly not sustainable. He claimed that funding free university tuition via “raiding” the budgets of further education colleges was “perverse and socially damaging”.