Lib Dem anger over Tory expense cover-up

12.00.00am GMT Mon 2nd Nov 2009

Local Lib Dem, John Dixon, has pledged to reform MPs’ expenses - but a local Tory voted to conceal his own expense claims!

Cardiff North Liberal Democrats have discovered that a local Tory voted to conceal his expenses when he was an MEP.

According to the campaign group Open Europe, the Conservative candidate for Cardiff North voted AGAINST proposals which would have seen MEPs publish details of their expense claims.

The news follows a pledge by local Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate, John Dixon, aimed at cleaning up the expenses system. John has promised, if elected, to:

• Publish expenses online and in a yearly report to all constituents.

• Refuse to claim for mortgage payments, groceries or furniture.

• Appoint a panel of independent people to review all expenses.

John told us: "I hope that my pledges will show that I want to go to Parliament to improve our area, not to improve my bank balance."

Heath councillor, Fenella Bowden, said: "Too many politicians simply don't get why the public are angry about this issue. John's pledge show that, unlike our local Tories, the Lib Dems are committed to reforming the expenses system."