Last week Guido reported that Lib Dem MP Charlie Maynard had been referred to the Standards Commissioner after campaigning to push Thames Water into special administration. Guido can now reveal Maynard received pro bono legal advice and representation for his legal challenge on the matter. Though he failed to declare it in his registered interests within the 28-day deadline…
William Day of 3VB chambers represented Maynard at the High Court on 3 February. Day was backed by Lucas Jones of 3VB and Niamh Davis of XXIV Old Buildings, with Brett Israel and Simon De Broise of Marriott Harrison LLP steering the case. The same barristers are now representing Maynard’s fresh appeal to block Thames Water from accessing the £3 billion it needs to stay afloat…
Under the House of Commons Code of Conduct, MPs must declare any ‘support for their activities’ worth over £1,500, including legal advice. When Guido reached out to Maynard, he responded that he had “not appreciated that [he] needed to do so” and this morning emailed the Register to update his interests, so he has now done the right thing. He added:
“Throughout this process I have been open about the fact that support has been provided on a pro-bono basis. I’m hugely grateful to the legal team of William Day and Marriott Harrison who have worked so hard over the past few months for no charge so that 16 million Thames Water customers, who would otherwise have been completely unrepresented in this case, could have a voice.”
Earlier this week Maynard was on the Today Programme struggling to rebut the point that taxpayers can’t afford to bail out the UK’s biggest water company to the tune of billions. Not holding water…
Sarah Pochin at Reform Scotland’s manifesto launch event: “I really wanted to come on in a Reform tartan burka, but apparently I wasn’t allowed… One day let’s do one of these events not live-streamed. We’ll do all the naughty stuff…”