Facing jail, Tory MP in expenses fiddle over pictures for office wall
A TORY MP faces jail for creating false expenses invoices for £700 worth of pictures to decorate his constituency office.
Christopher Davies used his own money to buy nine landscape photos as he set up his office after the 2015 general election but ended up breaking the law when he prepared claims for them under parliamentary expenses budgets.
The MP for Brecon and Radnorshire was entitled to claim the full amount from either the Start Up Costs Budget – for office furniture and IT equipment – or from the Office Costs Budget.
But he found in February 2016 that only £476.02 remained in the Start Up Costs Budget, while there was £8,303.75 in the other.
He then proceeded to create two fake invoices, one for £450 and one for £250, so the total cost could be split between the two budgets, Westminster Magistrates’ Court was told.
Philip Stott, prosecuting, said he could have either claimed the full amount from the larger budget or simply asked the firm Creative Photography Wales to create two legitimate invoices to split the cost.
The MP, who is facing a maximum of 12 months in jail after pleading guilty to two charges yesterday, has since repaid £450, while the £250 claim was never submitted.
The first charge was providing false or misleading information for allowances claims contrary to sechad
‘The author of his own misfortune’
tion 10 of the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009. The second was attempting to provide false or misleading information for an allowance claim using an invoice ‘that he knew to be false or misleading’.
Yesterday Ian Lavery, MP for Wansbeck and chairman of the Labour Party, called for Davies to quit. He said: ‘Trust in politics and politicians is essential to our democracy. Chris Davies cannot remain a Tory MP after admitting to this offence.’
The court heard that when questioned about the invoices in February last year by the party investigating officer, Davies said he had been told by a more experienced MP it was possible to ‘split’ expenses so he had tried to do so.
Thomas Forster QC, defending, said Davies considers the matter ‘a disastrous accounting episode’ and expressed his ‘sincere and unreserved apology for what he has done’. The lawyer added: ‘He recognises he is the author of his own misfortune, all of this has to be laid at his door and blames no one else but himself.
‘It took courage to plead guilty and face the music. He has not shied away from that responsibility and he should be given credit.’
But District Judge John Zani said that although there was no financial gain for his actions, Davies had admitted ‘two very serious offences’ that were ‘ absolutely intended to deceive’.
He added that as an MP, a position of considerable responsibility and trust, there is a need to be ‘meticulous in your claims’.
The judge said he did not consider the sentencing power of Westminster Magistrates’ Court – up to six months in jail – to be sufficient and sent the case to Crown Court.
The court heard Davies had already informed Commons Speaker John Bercow of his intention to plead guilty.
Davies has been voting in support of Theresa May’s Brexit deal.
He served as a councillor in Powys before he was elected as MP for Brecon and Radnorshire in the 2015 general election.
In January last year, he was appointed private secretary to the Wales Office.
Before entering politics he worked as an auctioneer, estate agent and also managed a mixed veterinary practice in Hay-on-Wye, Powys.