Trouble at the double for MP
Moran hits back after two-sided attacks
A blistering two-pronged attack has been launched on Luton MP Margaret Moran.
In the same week an official complaint concerning the MP's mailouts was upheld, council leader David Franks has accused her of grossly misleading constituents.
His comments come after a letter was posted to people in South Luton, claiming the council has refused to give police greater powers to tackle anti-social behaviour in Wigmore.
Describing the MP's claim as "completely untrue", Mr Franks said the police must ask the council to agree before they can use the extra powers given to them by the Anti-Social Behaviour Act.
And while the council has already agreed to a police request in the Farley Hill area, it has received no request for similar powers in Wigmore.
Mr Franks said: "At the East Luton Area Committee meeting on Thursday I asked the police representative to confirm whether or not the police had asked the council to confirm extra powers for the Wigmore area – he said they hadn't.
"I can't understand why an MP would want to say things which she knows are untrue, certainly a responsible elected representative should not write such rubbish to constituents.
"People will begin to ask whether you can believe anything she says anymore."
But Ms Moran hit back by saying Mr Franks' attack was a "classic smokescreen" to avoid talking about the facts.
She said: "Lib Dem MPs voted against the anti-social behaviour legislation, and the Lib Dem councillors introduced a motion to council so that they could put on record their opposition to this legislation.
"They've failed to use government measures to tackle anti-social behaviour. They've refused to close down alleyways, and the police tell me that they were reluctant to use the measures to tackle teen gangs in Wigmore.
"They've got a cheek as they're the ones who are failing to tackle the real problems of anti-social behaviour across the town. So concerned am I that I have spoken to Home Office minister Hazel Blears, and she's agreed to meet with residents to discuss their concerns."
Meanwhile, county councillor Richard Stay is demanding to know what action will be taken against the high-profile MP after his complaint over her mailouts was upheld.
In November last year the prospective Conservative parliamentary candidate called for an inquiry to determine whether the amount of unsolicited mail coming from her office – paid for out of the public purse – fell foul of the law.
He claimed her most recent "citizen surveys" were little more than party recruitment literature. And now Mr Stay has received a reply from Westminster officials.
Assistant Serjeant at Arms Mark Harvey said that while Ms Moran's letter on higher education – which Mr Stay sent as evidence – was "a reasonable solicited response", the enclosed documentation was against the spirit of regulations in force for all MPs.
Mr Harvey said: "Anything of this nature should be sufficiently neutral in order to avoid a challenge. Having discussed this with Ms Moran, I'm confident that there will be no repetition in future."
But Mr Stay, who hopes to win back the seat for the Tories at the next general election, is demanding an apology from the MP.
He added: "This is a very serious issue and Ms Moran should now apologise to both the House of Commons authorities and her electorate and refund the thousands of pounds of taxpayers money that she has spent on party political propaganda.
"Ms Moran has claimed that every one of the thousands of letters she has sent out were to people who have contacted her about specific issues.
"I am sorry to have to say that this statement is untrue and I am today writing to the Serjeant at Arms office asking what action he proposes to take against Ms Moran now that he has upheld my complaint."
A spokesman for Ms Moran's office said the MP has discussed the matter with the Assistant Serjeant at Arms and as far as they were concerned the matter is now closed.
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Weather for Luton
Friday 25 May 2012
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Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
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Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
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