'I'm sorry for being off sick,' says Margaret Moran
But MP insists constituents are being looked after
Poorly Luton South MP Margaret Moran yesterday publicly apologised to her constituents for not being at work due to a long-term illness.
The statement comes ahead of a full meeting of Luton Borough Council taking place tonight (Tuesday, October 3), at which Liberal Democrat politicians will call for her to stand down.
The MP has not been seen at her constituency office in Castle Street or at Westminster since the scandal over MPs' expenses broke in May.
Her expenses claims were held up as an example of the practice of 'flipping', whereby an MP changes which of their properties is designated as their second home for work purposes.
The Daily Telegraph said records of her expenses claims showed that in four years she in turn designated properties in Luton, Southampton and London as her second home.
The details of her claims, published on the internet over the summer, showed she had claimed 22,343 in the financial year 2007/08 and 22,109 in 2006/07 on furnishing and maintaining a second home. But the addresses of the properties to which the claims relate are obscured.
Immediately after her claims came to light in theTelegraph expose, the MP defended herself on national television. But since then she has not been at work, and has not publicly disclosed the nature of her illness.
She has submitted parliamentary questions on national issues but admitted in the statement that she had not been able to carry out her parliamentary and constituency duties "to the extent I would wish".
She said: "I am very grateful to the people of Luton South for electing me three times and I will be returning to Westminster to represent you as soon as the doctors allow me to.
"My Luton and Westminster offices are fully functional and continue to assist numerous constituents with their concerns and problems."
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Weather for Luton
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: East
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Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
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