Guido Fawkes' website reports today that Barrow & Furness' MP, John Woodcock, has been referred to the Standards Commissioner by a fellow MP for breach of the rules around the use of pre-paid House of Commons envelopes to solicit donations for a campaign that he is running on the retention of local healthcare services.
The rules on the use of 'House-provided stationery' are very clear and I believe that Mr Woodcock has a case to answer, especially given that funds being raised are being sent to local Labour Party offices and that only 25p in every £1 is going to a registered charity. How the remaining 75p would be spent is not clear.
I sent him a letter earlier today, outlining the questions which I believe need answering to prevent any impression of wrongdoing. I've copied them below:
- Are you able to confirm that ‘Save our Hospital’ is a cross-party, non-partisan campaign? What evidence exists to support this?
- What governance is in place regarding any funds raised for this campaign?
- How are this campaign’s accounts audited?
- As only 50p of each £2 raffle ticket is passed to a registered charity, how is the remaining £1.50 accounted for?
- What assurances can you give that this fund is separate to your own general election Fighting Fund?
- How many of these ‘campaign’ letters were sent using House of Commons pre-paid envelopes and what was the cost to the taxpayer of doing so?
- Have other similar ‘campaign’ letters been sent out? If so, did they also use House of Commons stationary and/or include fundraising materials?
The last thing that the NHS in Barrow needs right now is 'weaponising' by the Labour Party. I hope that the investigation by the Standards Commissioner and a speedy reply from Mr Woodcock on these questions will show that this isn't the case.
I wrote recently about the need to restore trust in politics. There should be a very high bar to being in public life. Politicians must be absolutely transparent in their actions so that we can't be accused of even a whiff of wrongdoing.
I'll be sure to publish Mr Woodcock's response once I receive it.