Labour MP Stephen Byers investigated over leaflet

May 5 2009 by Brian Daniel, The Journal

A NORTH MP is being investigated by a parliamentary watchdog over claims he misused allowances to promote a mayoral candidate.

Stephen Byers, Labour MP for North Tyneside and former Cabinet member, was reported to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards by the borough’s Liberal Democrat group last week

The Lib Dems are angry about a leaflet Mr Byers put out about his work last month.

They say it “blatantly promotes” the work of Labour’s borough mayor John Harrison, who is standing for re-election in June, on affordable housing.

The Lib Dems also claim the leaflet was distributed outside of Mr Byers’ constituency, breaking parliamentary protocol which states MPs must not communicate with the constituents of colleagues.

The party says the MP would have spent at least £1,000 from his allowances to produce the leaflet and another couple of hundred on distribution. It wants the MP to be forced to issue an apology and pay back the money for the leaflets, if the investigation finds he has done wrong.

The leaflet does not mention that Mr Harrison is seeking re-election, but the Lib Dems believe people in North Tyneside will know he is standing again.