Stephen Dorrell’s Secret Rent Deal
Former Tory Health Secretary turned troughing piggy Stephen Dorrell should be drafting his resignation this morning after the Telegraph revealed that he sold his old flat to friends, did not declare the controversial deal that netted him £70,000, and then rented it back off of them. All to break the spirit of the new expenses rules.
Dorrell openly admits that he contrived this tenancy to maximise his benefits under IPSA rules, he told the Telegraph
“…I bought it on an interest only mortgage, because that was the rule at the time, and that ended. So I arranged for a third party to buy it. We had an independent assessment of the rent and it is rented at arms length.”
If he was claiming welfare benefits instead of MPs’ benefits he could be prosecuted for fraudulently ”contriving a tenancy”…
In an added twist, there is also a huge undeclared conflict of interest in the fact that the friends are involved in care homes – an area being investigated by the Select Committee Dorrell chairs. The only job he should be doing is Stewarding the Chilton Hundreds…

One of the many rent-swappers revealed last month was Labour MP Linda Riordan. She claimed £1,473-a-month from the taxpayer to rent a London flat in spite of the fact that she rented her own London property to parliamentary colleague Iain McKenzie. At the time McKenzie claimed that he had no idea that his landlady was a Labour MP, absolving himself of all responsibility and ending the arrangement, apparently, as soon as he found out.
“Payment was direct by IPSA, they advised they deal direct with Estate agent, the reason I used them. I signed the lease document, on it was landlord Linda – no indication of her employment. As I was only elected three months I did not connect the name, truth is I still do not know all MPs.”
Hardly a surprise but good news nonetheless that a jury has found former Labour MP Margaret Moran fiddled her expenses to the tune of
“How do I say sorry? Rotherham has been such an important part of my life and I have let this wonderful town, its terrific people and my constituency down so very badly. I accept fully the responsibility for my actions. That I was at grievous fault there can be no doubt. I cannot convey how much I will miss Rotherham. I am not from South Yorkshire but the people took me into their bonds of friendship and made my young family…feel very much at home. I finish by apologising from the bottom of my heart for the damage I have done, I hope only temporarily, to the good name of Rotherham, through my folly and mistakes.”













