Labour MP to pay back £2,300 of taxpayers’ cash she used for campaigning just a day after election was called

A LABOUR MP volition wage backmost £2,300 for utilizing taxpayers’ currency for “campaigning” conscionable a time aft the predetermination was called, an enquiry has found.

Marsha de Cordova was recovered successful breach of strict Parliamentary rules for sending retired a “personal election pledge” missive to constituents.

She volition present reimburse the nationalist purse for misused stationery that wasn’t supporting her activities arsenic an MP, the probe concluded.

Ms de Cordova sent the missive to 1,601 constituents conscionable 24 hours aft Rishi Sunak called the wide predetermination backmost successful May.

The ceremonial probe recovered that determination was a deficiency of item astir her circumstantial constituency and a wide connection astir her “mission” to marque the Battersea constituency the champion spot to unrecorded and work.

She signed disconnected the missive saying she volition proceed to rise issues if she was re-elected.

These included issues astir energy bills, delays to immigration and asylum claims and transport issues.

The enquiry was led by Daniel Greenberg, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, who said helium was satisfied her missive included campaigning with a pledge based connected her way record.

He besides said determination was an entreaty to imaginable voters which could beryllium characterised arsenic “promoting her re-election to nationalist office”.

The enquiry study revealed that Ms de Cordova accepted the determination and apologised for the breach of the rules.

She volition wage backmost the wealth totalling £2,388 to screen the costs of paper, envelopes and postage.

The substance volition not beryllium sent to the Standards Committee for consideration.

Ms de Cordova told the enquiry that the missive sent retired was “not successful immoderate mode party-political, so determination is not a azygous notation of a governmental enactment and did not see immoderate governmental run messaging”.