A right-wing Tory MP has received more than £36,000 in free foreign travel in the last twelve months, Political Scrapbook can reveal. Controversial backbencher Andrew Rosindell clocked up the air miles across seven trips paid for by third parties — including a first class junket to the Caribbean worth £13,600.
The Romford MPs recent itinerary has also included other exotic destinations such as the Cayman Islands (£5,745), Taiwan (£3,805), Lebanon (£1,289), Qatar (£5,000) Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan (£4,375). He even took his sister on a “parliamentary” Summer trip to Guernsey, with accomodation, food and entertainment coming to £1,063. Fortunately for Rosindell, the vast majority of his trips since 2001 trips were undertaken before rules on financial disclosure were introduced.
As a member of a whopping 60 all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs) associated with overseas territories, the Romford MP regularly accepts invitations to free junkets by foreign governments, businesses and organisations. But it seems to Scrapbook that Rosindell’s presence on a country group bears some relation to its average temperature and distance from the UK.
And this is not the first time overseas trips have had Rosindell in hot water. He came under fire after a trip to Gibraltar in September 2008 was not registered until April 2009 — failing to declare interests when tabling parliamentary questions and even when securing a debate on Gibraltar.
Having touched down on numerous continents, we trust his chairmanship of the Polar Regions APPG will help him complete the set.
8 Comments
http://www.annaraccoon.com/politics/knocking-the-weegie-bored/
tories have nothing in comparison to the weegie-land labour troughers
How does he find the time to worry about constituency problems or vote in the Commons?
It pains me greatly to have to say something nice about a Tory MP but he is pretty much the only MP taking any interest in the UK’s sorely neglected Overseas Territories which have suffered years of neglect and mismanagement by successive governments. I suspect many MPS are deterred from taking an interest precisely because any visit is likely to produce this sort of sneering reaction.
UK’s sorely neglected overseas territories are a matter for the Foreign Office not the MP for Romford .
Does he now have William Hague’s post?
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110914/wmstext/110914m0001.htm#11091465000060
Mr Rosindell is my MP.
Because he walks round Romford with a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, a lot of people vote for him.
He is the MP who told Cameron to ‘show some bulldog spirit’ just before Cameron followed his advice at the EU summit and Sarkozy told him “You have lost a good opportunity to shut up.”
I think his dog probably has more intelligence than him.
What a bizarre argument. Should MPs keep their noses out of all departments or just the FCO?
Andrew made history by being the first member of parliament to host an erotica party in the House of Commons.
Oh La La! House Of Commons Goes Erotic
The £89 per head dinner in the exclusive Members’ Dining Room was followed by a party – off the premises and on a nearby boat – where the guests had to exchange formal attire for latex or similar fancy dress.
It is the first time the House of Commons has been used for an erotica party and the Romford MP insists he has not stepped out of line.
http://news.sky.com/home/strange-news/article/15749665