Salmond's Blair impeachment expenses claim examined by watchdog

Published on Monday 13 July 2009 18:15

A COMPLAINT that Alex Salmond wrongly used taxpayers' money in a bid to force Tony Blair from office over Iraq is to be studied by the Westminster standards commissioner, it was disclosed today.

The commissioner, John Lyon, has accepted a complaint from Labour peer Lord Foulkes who accused Mr Salmond of "outrageous" behaviour.

The attempt to force Mr Blair from office over his handling of the war with Iraq was launched in 2004 by the SNP and Plaid Cymru in Westminster.

During the Westminster expenses controversy last month it was disclosed that taxpayers were charged more than 14,000 for legal advice on impeaching Mr Blair.

The legal bill was split among Scottish and Welsh Nationalists MPs, and Mr Salmond claimed for his 790 share.

Lord Foulkes said today that Mr Lyon was to look into his complaint, which was limited to Mr Salmond "in the first instance".

The commissioner said in a letter to the peer that his role was to consider complaints where a complainer had provided sufficient evidence "to justify me making at least a preliminary inquiry" into whether there had been a breach of the rules.

"In essence, your complaint is that Mr Salmond claimed against the Incidental Expenses Provision to meet the cost of party political activities, contrary to the rules of the House," he said.

"Having accepted your complaint, I have written to Mr Salmond inviting his comments.

"Once I receive his response, I shall consider how best to proceed."

Lord Foulkes said today: "I am pleased that John Lyon has agreed to investigate my complaint against Alex Salmond.

"The issue is not about whether the Iraq war was right or wrong.

"It's not even about whether the impeachment action was right or wrong.

"It's about whether legal advice about it should be paid for by the taxpayer out of Mr Salmond's office costs allowance.

"I think it's quite wrong for public money to be used for a party political campaign and I hope and expect that John Lyon will find that is the case."

A spokesman for Mr Salmond last month said the Nationalist parties had been "absolutely" right in their bid to hold Mr Blair to account for the war.