Barnsley Central By-election

[Harry Hayfield]

(Source: BBC News)

Labour MP Eric Illsley has admitted he fraudulently claimed more than £14,000 in parliamentary expenses. Appearing at Southwark Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to three charges of false accounting. The charges related to claims for council tax, maintenance, repairs and utility bills between 2005 and 2008.

Mr Illsley, who represents Barnsley Central, has been an MP since 1987 and was re-elected with a majority of more than 11,000 in 2010. The 55-year-old had previously denied the charges against him.

The Crown Prosecution Service had alleged that the MP falsely claimed payments towards his second home in Kennington, south London. On Friday, former Labour MP David Chaytor became the first person to be jailed over the Westminster expenses scandal.

He was sentenced to 18 months after admitting he forged tenancy documents and invoices to falsely claim more than £22,000 of taxpayers' money for rent and IT work from the Commons authorities.

The BBCNews Channel is already calling him the INDEPENDENT MP for Barnsley Central, which means it will be probably this afternoon that he formally resigns as the MP.

[London Man]

(Source: BBC News)

Labour MP Eric Illsley has admitted he fraudulently claimed more than £14,000 in parliamentary expenses. Appearing at Southwark Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to three charges of false accounting. The charges related to claims for council tax, maintenance, repairs and utility bills between 2005 and 2008.

Mr Illsley, who represents Barnsley Central, has been an MP since 1987 and was re-elected with a majority of more than 11,000 in 2010. The 55-year-old had previously denied the charges against him.

The Crown Prosecution Service had alleged that the MP falsely claimed payments towards his second home in Kennington, south London. On Friday, former Labour MP David Chaytor became the first person to be jailed over the Westminster expenses scandal.

He was sentenced to 18 months after admitting he forged tenancy documents and invoices to falsely claim more than £22,000 of taxpayers' money for rent and IT work from the Commons authorities.

The BBCNews Channel is already calling him the INDEPENDENT MP for Barnsley Central, which means it will be probably this afternoon that he formally resigns as the MP.

He was technically an Independent; he'd been suspended from the PLP.

[Јas]

Given that he has not yet received a sentence which mandates he be vacated; and that he hasn't resigned yet, I think the naming of this thread is quite presumptive.

[London Man]

Given that he has not yet received a sentence which mandates he be vacated; and that he hasn't resigned yet, I think the naming of this thread is quite presumptive.

Not that presumptive. He's probably getting a prison sentence.

[You kip if you want to...]

Labour would presumably win, right?

[YL]

Labour would presumably win, right?

It's Barnsley (and it's really Barnsley, not Penistone).  The only way Labour lose is if they have some bizarre split and an Independent with local support stands against the official candidate.

[Јas]

Given that he has not yet received a sentence which mandates he be vacated; and that he hasn't resigned yet, I think the naming of this thread is quite presumptive.

Not that presumptive. He's probably getting a prison sentence.

Though it would need to be a sentence greater than 12 months for him to be removed automatically.

That may even be probable (given that it seems that the sentencing judge is the same as in the Chaytor case) but it's definitely still presumptive.

[London Man]

Given that he has not yet received a sentence which mandates he be vacated; and that he hasn't resigned yet, I think the naming of this thread is quite presumptive.

Not that presumptive. He's probably getting a prison sentence.

Though it would need to be a sentence greater than 12 months for him to be removed automatically.

That may even be probable (given that it seems that the sentencing judge is the same as in the Chaytor case) but it's definitely still presumptive.

I agree. It's jumping the gun a little.

[London Man]

Not now though.

[Јas]

Looks like there was some eagerness to expel him. Kevin Barron having attempted to gain clarification from the Speaker on so doing. - Paul Waugh

[Sibboleth]

The actions of certain senior members of the PLP show that he was more than technically an ex-Labour MP.

But, yeah. I'll write a profile post out at some point or something. But, basically, a by-election in a constituency with an eleven thousand majority for the only major opposition party isn't likely to be interesting, even with circumstances such as these (especially as Labour acted extremely quickly when he was arrested-and-charged last year). There are independents in Barnsley politics, but essentially parochial ones.

[You kip if you want to...]

Surely Labour would call the election for May 5th, right?

[State Comptroller Atkins]

By-elections in safe Labour seats often have an incredibly low turnout (e.g. Leeds Central 1999).

[You kip if you want to...]

Amused.

[Insula Dei]

Amused.

...

[Vasall des Midas]

So that's a spoof on LD campaign lit?

[Sibboleth]

Presumably. Though what they'd actually do is base it on (say) the number of MPs in South Yorkshire (13 Labour and Clegg) and draw it so 1 looked more like 4.

[State Comptroller Atkins]

Rumour has it that Nick Griffin is standing, ftr.

But then again, rumour had it that he was going to stand in OES.

[London Man]

So that's a spoof on LD campaign lit?

Yep; I've seen a few of those "charts" on LD leaflets in my time.

[Sibboleth]

So that's a spoof on LD campaign lit?

Yep; I've seen a few of those "charts" on LD leaflets in my time.

And you live in their weakest area in the entire country!

[London Man]

So that's a spoof on LD campaign lit?

Yep; I've seen a few of those "charts" on LD leaflets in my time.

And you live in their weakest area in the entire country!

Actually, not locally; while campaigning elsewhere in the UK.