Parliamentary Office Gate: Who Does Your MP Rent From?

So, Shahid Malik's office arrangements are under scrutiny. Does it make you wonder? Is there a rustle in your hedgerow? Don't be alarmed now! There's still time to change the road you're on! Let's start from the very beginning! It's a very good place to start! Enough of the catholic musical tastes already. Ed. Who does your MP rent their office from?

My current MP and Chair of the PLP Tony Lloyd rents his office from .... The Methodists. That's probably going to look OK when he self-publishes his claims on Monday. I'd have said so. Would you agree? But what of your MP?

We know that Paul Rowen MP (Lib Dem, Rochdale) rents his office from his local Lib Dem Party. They rent in turn from Rochdale Reform Buildings Limited, whoever they may turn out to be* ... their Registered Office shares an address with the Rochdale Lib Dems, and with the Lib Dem MP's parliamentary office, and with the Lib Dem Agent (right) worse-for-wear crash pad. Crashed too, below. Perhaps there are other organisations squatting there? ... we don't like to speculate.

There was apparently a huge rent increase when Rowen got elected. And Rowen actually paid the local party almost double that increased rent. Although he wasn't based there, as an MP at least, for the full calendar year.

And there was a mystery payment from the Lib Dem Town Hall into the pot also. And, as luck would have it, Rochdale Reform Buildings Limited also chose to make a political donation at around the same time. Virtually as large as the increased rent they had just received.

Looked like, thanks to these property transactions alone, the local Lib Dem Party made a profit of more than £5,000 in that one year alone. Thanks to tax payers and council tax payers money flowing into their coffers. There was also £24,000 or so in from the Lib Dem councillors that appeared in the annual accounts for no year at all. And it cannot have been all tucked away in the election campaign expenses. Because the limit would be scarcely 40% of that figure.

Over recent years it would appear that sadly no notifiable political donations whatsoever have been received and declared in the expected way by Rochdale Lib Dems.

There cannot have been any. They'd have told us.

And sadly too the Rochdale Lib Dems' turnover has seemingly fallen beneath the level at which accounts are required. There's nothing to stop them sticking them in the public domain anyway. Their man is after all a champion of the open book. Though the "walk" is yet to catch the "talk".

Their turnover must have slumped in a crumpled heap, like a Vodka'd up Political Agent. And that being so they don't have to share.



FOOTNOTE: We're not quite sure about John Leech MP's arrangements in Man Wit. It is hard to follow. Can't quite work out what's going on down there on the Stockport borders. An amateur Printing Society, apparently responsible for reams of professional 4-colour process glossy print. On their John Bull set. A local Party. An MP. All will become clear.

Can Blue Leechy match Red Lloydy and get clear-the-air receipts out by Monday?

* Must get round to some company searches soon ... probably worth going back to the very beginning I'd have thought. Though it is a whole £1 per document.