Who's sorry now?
| 12:24 UK time, Tuesday, 31 July 2007
The DUP's Gregory Campbell has apologised to the chairman of the Committee for Standards and Privileges for failng to register his positions as MLA and councillor in a timely fashion. He was late in registering his membership of the Northern Ireland assembly after both the 2001 and 2005 election, and his membership of Derry City Council after the 2005 poll.
The apology came after a probe by the Commissioner for Standards and Privileges Sir Philip Mawer in which Mr Campbell made several arguments, including that the person who made the initial complaint was wrong on the facts and therefore the complaint should be disposed of.
News of the MP's eventual mea culpa was contained in the report by the Standards committee. In the report Sir Philip notes in paragraph 27, Appendix One that had Mr Campbell been willing to acknowledge and apologise (for what the MP himself called an oversight) then he might have been able to deal with the issue under the rectification procedure. Such a procedures in certain circumstances means a formal report can be avoided.
Sir Philip continues: "Since Mr Campbell has failed to do either, I make this formal report to the Committee in order that it may take such action as it sees fit."
A meeting between the MP and the Committee's clerk helped clear up the matter as the MP apologised on July 18.
Another point that comes up in the report is Mr Campbell's concern that at one point the Commissioner rang the DUP Whip's office to ask Mr Campbell to make contact, even though the MP's letters to Sir Philip included his home address. Sir Philip in a letter to the Clerk of the committee explains that he had not been asked to communicate with the MP only through his home address - and in fact had addressed letters to the MP at the House of Commons. However at one point Sir Philip, needing to check progress of a reply from Mr Campbell, asked his PA to check the position with Mr Campbell's office. She duly rang Mr Campbell's office in the House but was diverted to the DUP Whips office. Sir Philip writes that this was "something of which she could not have been aware" and adds: "I can only express regret for any difficulty her entirely inadvertent contact with the staff of his party's Whip's office may have caused Mr Campbell."
Now what difficulty would that be?
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Very informative Martina. Isn't it all very quaint?
Gregory had a couple of extra jobs that everybody knew about, but didn't write them down in the special book.
In an effort to sort it out, the man who reads the special book had to write to Gregory. On one occasion, he even had to ask somebody to make a phone call. Imagine!
Reminds me of the news today that the text of a UN resolution on Darfur has been agreed. 4 years after it all started we have decided what to write in the special book. The Sudanese army must be quaking in their boots.
Just another example of the press using trivial stories to lambaste the DUP and their eleced representatives. At least Gregory wasn't selling honours or getting expenses and not even attending the House
Steady on David. You're right that he wasn't selling honours or doing anything as sneaky (or two-faced) as the shinners, but it's good that this committee isn't constantly battling against corruption like they would have to if based in Italy, say.
Secondly, this blog has never opened a discussion on anything but triviality. If you don't want trivial, watch the news.
If you want to know what the politicians don't want you to know, you'll find a few items here.
Dear me, the press holding the democratic system to scrutiny? Imagine the cheek! Martina you must know by now that criticism of the DUP is not allowed in our great new world. You may, if absolutely necessary, use another picture of Ian and Martin laughing heartily.
Leaving political parties aside I know Gregory Campbell to be an honest person. Being too busy to ensure meticulous records can be a problem he will obviously address. He has the right to want to sort out his own business without the help of a party whip. I am old enough to know that Ian Paisley will not let anyone stand in his way when he takes the notion. He has parted with many followers over the years.
Perhaps the difficulty surrounds the staff in the whips office. Whoops I think there is only one member of staff. Most unhelpful!
Watch this space. I understand that Mr Campbell has again been complained about to the Clerk of Standards in relation to his Cora My Yogi Bear comments. Becoming a bit of a habit for our Greg