Tory peer to face false expenses charges

Lord taylor embroiled in mp second home expenses scandal

Lord Taylor of Warwick has been accused of false accounting after he was questioned over the parliamentary expenses scandal. It follows disclosures in December that he had allegedly registered a house in Oxford belonging to the partner of his step brother’s son, without his knowledge or consent whilst living in a Ealing home.

By declaring the property owned by Tristram Wyatt, a university academic who lives with Lord Taylor’s step-nephew Robert Taylor, as his primary residence, the peer was allegedly able to claim second home expenses on a house he owned in west London.

When questions were first raised about Lord Taylor’s use of the House of Lords second home allowance last summer, he issued a statement disclosing that his main home was a property in which his late mother Enid had lived.

However, it emerged that this house, in Solihull in the west Midlands, had been sold in 2001, shortly before Mrs Taylor’s death, while the peer’s second home claims had continued until 2007.

It was later alleged that Lord Taylor had in fact registered a home owned by Mr Wyatt, a prominent zoologist, which he shared with Mr Taylor, a photographer, as his principle residence for the purposes of his expenses.

The Tory peer, whose full name is John David Beckett Taylor, has been summoned to face six charges of false accounting.

He will appear at City of Westminster magistrates' court on Friday August 13, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

The peer is the sixth person to be charged as a result of a Scotland Yard probe into parliamentary expenses.

"Lord Taylor faces six charges under Section 17 of the Theft Act 1968 for false accounting..."

keir starmer, director of public prosecutions

Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer QC said Lord Taylor is accused of dishonestly claiming more than £11,000 in overnight subsistence and mileage claims.

He said: "Having thoroughly reviewed the eighth file of evidence we have received from the Metropolitan Police in relation to parliamentary expenses, we concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to bring criminal charges against Lord Taylor.

"Lord Taylor faces six charges under Section 17 of the Theft Act 1968 for false accounting.

"The first charge alleges that, on or about 31 March 2006, Lord Taylor dishonestly submitted claims for overnight subsistence and car mileage stating that his main place of residence was outside London when he did not reside at the address he had given but actually resided in London.

"The subsequent charges allege that similar claims were made on 3 July 2006, 31 October 2006, 5 April 2007, 2 July 2007 and 31 October 2007. In total the charges allege a sum in excess of £11,000 was dishonestly claimed over this period."

A Conservative spokesman said: "Lord Taylor of Warwick has resigned the Conservative Party whip."

16.07.10 20:04

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