Complaint to the Audit Commission...Ministerial Visits

Please feel free to follow the lead and raise the complaints in an individual capacity citing statements and references from Ministers who failed to inform the public that they were not speaking as a Minister but as a Labour Party member.

48 Frederick Street, Sunderland SR1 1NF

15 November 2004


Mr David Corner
Director ODPM VFM
National Audit Office
157-197 Buckingham Palace Road
Victoria
LondonSW1W 9SP

Dear Mr Corner

Referendum in the North East on a Regional Assembly

Thank you for your letter of 4 November.

I note that “ministers are permitted to speak on the issues…if they make it clear that they are doing so in a personal or political capacity and not as a government minister” and that there was a question in the Commons about Mr Prescott’s visit to the area on 12 October.

There were several visits to the North East by Mr Prescott, Mr Hain and Mr Brown during the purdah period. All of these visits were well covered by the newspapers, radio and TV; in no instance did any of these ministers ever state clearly that he was visiting the are in a personal or political capacity. What evidence do you have that steps were taken to ensure that the public was not under the misapprehension that the visits were official?

It is worth noting that no backbench Labour Members of Parliament chose to come to the area during the campaign; it was clearly the intention (and,indeed, the effect) that the visits of ministers were part of official Government endorsement of the “Yes” campaign.

I note also that ministers are required to “distinguish their party expenses from their official expenses”. What evidence do you have that the expenses were so distinguished?

Please also advise me how much was actually charged to the public purse for these visits.

Yours faithfully


Neil Herron
Campaign Director
North East No Campaign


Mr David Corner
Director ODPM VFM
National Audit Office
157-197 Buckingham Palace Road
Victoria
London
SW1W 9SP