A Labour front bencher is still employing her husband eight years after promising to sack him. Sharon Hodgson, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Public Health, employs Alan Hodgson as her office manager. During the 2009 MPs expenses scandal, Hodgson’s local paper the Sunderland Echo reported: “Washington MP Sharon Hodgson will sack her husband after new recommendations on politicians employing relatives.” Responding to the findings of MPs expenses inquiry chairman Sir Christopher Kelly, Hodgson said at the time:
“This ruling and the wider Kelly recommendations as a whole will undoubtedly mean a big change for me and for my family, as well as my other staff and whilst I fully intend to stick to Sir Christopher Kelly’s recommendations I won’t be making any changes overnight, although, I appreciate I will have to sooner rather than later.”
Quarter-of-million quid later Guido has to ask, isn’t eight years long enough?
Last year the Newcastle Chronicle revealed Alan’s £30,000-£35,000 salary was the highest of any MP’s family member in the North East. Must be for long service…
New MPs elected this year are barred from recruiting family members, but one in five existing members still do so. Clearly a deadline needs to be imposed…
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