The Nationalist MP, £88,000 of public cash and questions over her election spending
Calls for investigation by Standards Commissioner
A NATIONALIST MP was last night at the centre of a damaging row over her election expenses.
Corri Wilson faces an investigation into claims she used money from a fellow SNP politician’s expenses account to help fund her successful bid to become an MP.
Chic Brodie, a former Nationalist MSP, paid £88,000 of taxpayers’ money to a firm 90 per cent owned by Miss Wilson for ‘administrative support’ before she stood for Westminster.
Last night, the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life received a complaint about the revelations, calling for an investigation into claims she used money from the company to help pay for her Westminster election battle and the local Yes Scotland campaign.
We can reveal Miss Wilson, now MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, used the company’s main office in Ayr as her election headquarters and as a Yes South Ayrshire campaign centre. At the same time, it appears her firm made little money from other contracts – sparking claims the public funds the company received from Mr Brodie’s expenses account may have been used to fund political activities.
Conservative MSP John Lamont last night confirmed he had lodged a complaint with Bill Thomson, the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland, raising concerns about the ‘relationship between Mr Brodie’s expenses and Miss Wilson’s political activities’.
Between 2012 and 2015, Miss Wilson’s company, Caledonii Resources, received £88,000 of taxpayers’ money from the expenses account of former South of Scotland MSP Mr Brodie, for helping him with casework.
An analysis of election spending returns, campaign materials and online activity reveals Caledonii subsequently played a significant role in the Yes South Ayrshire campaign during the independence referendum and in supporting Miss Wilson’s successful bid to become MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock in 2015.
Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire MSP Mr Lamont said: ‘The details emerging today raise huge questions about the conduct of two well-known SNP figures.
‘Thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money went into Corri Wilson’s company at the same time as it sup- ported the Yes campaign and her election as an MP. The public now deserve full clarity on the exact relationship between Caledonii Resources, Mr Brodie’s expenses and her political activities. That can only mean a full investigation by the Commissioner for Ethical Standards.
‘Corri Wilson should publish her full accounts, so the public can see what her company did, how much of its work was for Brodie and how much for political campaigning. If she fails to release full details, voters will naturally draw their own conclusions.’
Caledonii Resources, which is 90 per cent owned by Miss Wilson and 10 per cent owned by SNP activist John McGuire, was set up in April 2012. Between then and May 2015, it received £87,617 from Mr Brodie’s Scottish parliament expenses account for work done as ‘outsourced contract staff ’.
In 2013-14, when Caledonii received £32,917 from Mr Brodie, its office at Wellington Square in Ayr was used for the Yes South Ayrshire campaign.
The company’s registered office was listed as Yes South Ayrshire’s main office in campaign materials.
In 2014-15, when Caledonii received £32,255 from Mr Brodie, it was listed as a donor to Miss Wilson’s campaign in her election spending return, including ‘free rent and services for office space’ valued at £583 in February 2015 and £547 for ‘shared rental of office space’ in April 2015.
Despite its income from Mr Brodie, accounts posted with Companies House indicate the company made tiny sums each year. Accounts to the end of March 2015 show it had only £36 ‘cash at bank’ – the same total as a year earlier – while ‘tangible assets’ were reported as being worth just £472, compared to £555 a year earlier.
In his letter to Mr Thomson, Mr Lamont also raised concerns about of pounds of invoices being addressed directly to Miss Wilson at Caledonii – despite election agents normally being responsible for keeping and paying invoices.
Mr Lamont urged the Commissioner to investigate since Miss Wilson was a councillor at the time of her General Election campaign, while Mr Brodie was an MSP.
His letter says: ‘It is beyond reasonable doubt that Mr Brodie’s expenses were paid to Caledonii Resources at the same time as the company assisted party political campaigns. This alone would be cause for investigation.
‘But given the facts on Caledonii Resources’ structure and timing of operations, there is potential for further confusion on the relationship between Mr Brodie’s expenses and Ms Wilson’s political activities.
‘The MSP code of conduct states that they must act with openness, integrity and honesty at all times. The code of conduct for councillors states they must act with openness, integrity and honesty at all times. Many voters may ask if these principles were upheld during the referendum and election.’
Last night, Mr Brodie said: ‘As far as I was concerned, it was a contract that was agreed by the parliament, the expenses regime was agreed by the parliament and, as she [Miss Wilson] was advised beforehand, if she stood for parliament and became the candidate I would cancel the contract – which I did.’
Asked about the allegation Caledonii was only set up to receive public funds to be used for political campaigning, he said: ‘I don’t know Caledonii Resources’ accounts – I never saw them. All I had was a contract where I said, “This is what I expect you to do”. The contract was terminated the minute she became a candidate.
‘If Caledonii Resources committed that money – although I don’t know what other expenses or revenue they had – then I would be disappointed. Personally I’d be disappointed, although I’m assuming she was earning money elsewhere – but I never saw the accounts.’
Miss Wilson issued a statement last night, saying: ‘This is a recurring issue for John Lamont, who has raised it with the Press with stunning regularity, despite it relating to a time before I was an MP. To date, I have received no formal notification of any complaint into my conduct. If and when I do, I will be happy to cooperate fully.’
A spokesman for the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland last night said it was ‘unable to comment’.
‘The public now deserve full clarity’