Three former Labour MPs and an ex-Tory peer facing expenses fraud allegations have lost appeals over a ruling that they are not protected by parliamentary privilege from prosecution. Elliott Morley, David Chaytor, Jim Devine and Lord Hanningfield had argued at the Court of Appeal that only Parliament could hear their case.

And did these men in recent time
thieve upon England’s voters green?

And was Lord Hanningfield
to fiddle his expenses seen?

And did the hand of Jim Devine
reach out into our barren tills?

And was Chaytor’s thieving clear
among those damned redacted bills?

Bring me the truth of Morley’s gold!
Bring me the means to trounce a liar!

Bring me my constitutional rights! Evidence, unfold!
Bring me a prosecutor of fire!

I will not cease from contumation
nor shall my pen sleep in my hand,

Till we have jailed the thieving scum
from Parliament’s accursed land.

Eleanor August 1, 2010 at 18:59

“Till we have jailed the thieving scum
from Parliament

Lee August 1, 2010 at 12:24

Nice article Anna but there would have been an upside if they had
succeeded………

Another confirmation that Magna Carta was still in force and supreme to
many other laws (including EU ones!)

Alan August 1, 2010 at 16:27

“Another confirmation that Magna Carta was still in force…”

It’s the Bill of Rights they were trying to hide behind isn’t it?

The decision does not throw out the Bill of Rights but rightly limits
Parliamentary Privilege to parliamentary business. The evidence so far
uncovered puts these and many more MPs outside the rules the Green Book set
out and as such this is not Parliamentary business but plain old suspected
theft. This decision re-affirms the Bill of Rights.