OUR LATEST ISSUE
He said that the investigation into his affairs would cause 'great distress' to his family and friends
David Wilshire
Section 28 MP to stand down over £100,000 expenses row
The MP responsible for introducing the Section 28 legislation in 1988 has agreed to stand down at the next election following allegations that he funnelled £100,000 in parliamentary expenses into a private company owned by himself and his girlfriend, Ann Palmer.
David Wilshire, the MP for the safe Tory seat of Spelthorne, Surrey, claimed parliamentary office allowances and other expenses totalling £105,500 for Moorlands Research Services between 2005 and 2008, the Daily Telegraph disclosed on Wednesday.
Although he said that the company had never profited and that he and Palmer had never been paid by it, they were the only partners in it, it was not publicly quoted, did not file accounts and he has been unable to produce proof of where the money was spent. Parliamentary rules dictate that MPs must not enter financial arrangements "that give rise to an accusation" that they or an associate profited from public funds.
Wilshire, with the support of Dame Jill Knight, introduced Section 28 as an amendment to the Local Government Bill. It made it illegal for local authorities to "promote homosexuality or...promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality". Section 28 was repealed in 2003.
In 2000 Wilshire voted to prohibit teachers from introducing steps to prevent bullying on the grounds of homosexuality, in 2002 he voted against homosexual couples being allowed to adopt children, in 2004 he voted against the Civil Partnership Bill, which granted a legal relationship for same-sex couples, and in 2007 voted against the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation), which outlawed discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities, services, education and public functions on the grounds of sexual orientation. In every case Wilshire voted with the minority.
David Cameron said that Wilshire "made the right decision" in announcing he would stand down and co-operate with an inquiry by the Standards Commissioner. Wilshire said that the investigation into his affairs would cause "great distress" to his family and friends.
