Lib Dem calls for Police investigation into Derek Conway

4.28.01pm GMT Mon 28th Jan 2008

Duncan Borrowman, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Old Bexley & Sidcup, has written to the police officer investigating Labour's donor crisis, Acting Commander Nigel Mawer of the Economic and Specialist Crimes Unit, calling for him to investigate the findings of the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee regarding Derek Conway MP.

Mr Borrowman's letter says:

Dear Commander Mawer,

I write to you concerning the verdict of the House of Commons Standards and Privileges Committee regarding the activities of my local Member of Parliament, Derek Conway MP.

I note that the Committee has stated that Mr Conway's son Frederick (FC) was:

"unlikely to be able to meet his contractual commitments"

and

"no records appear to exist of either actual work that FC did for his father, or the work he was required to undertake…no-one outside of the Conway family was aware of the work."

further, they state:

"We note that FC seems to have been all but invisible during the period of his employment,"

and

"This arrangement was, at the least, an improper use of Parliamentary allowances: at worst it was a serious diversion of public funds. Our view is that the reality may well be somewhere between the two."

From the statements given by the committee it is clear that there is primae facie evidence that criminal fraud may have taken place, and I ask that you investigate the activities of Mr Conway in this context.

I should declare that I am Mr Conway's Liberal Democrat opponent at the next General Election, but believe this issue is important enough, especially in the present climate, to warrant police investigation.

Yours sincerely

Duncan Borrowman