Four politicians with wives on the payroll

Feb 14 2008 Reports by Alastair McNeill and Gary Fanning

A SURVEY carried out by the Advertiser in the wake of the Derek Conway MP scandal has found that at least three Lanarkshire MSPs employ family members as staff.

Labour MSPs Michael McMahon and Andy Kerr and Alex Neil, of the SNP, were candid about the staffing of their offices.

However, some Lanarkshire Labour MPs were less forthcoming.

Some failed to return calls and one, Tommy McAvoy, “didn’t respond to surveys.“

Mr Conway was suspended from the House of Commons after it emerged that he had been using public cash to employ his son, Freddie, in his private office.

There was no record of what, if any, work Freddie Conway had done.

Following the row, the House of Commons standards and privileges committee recommended an April 1 deadline for MPs to register any relatives they employ.

However, the Prime Minister said Labour MPs had to be “fully transparent” in their declarations.

He ordered them to provide to the committee “as soon as possible” details of any family members working for them.

Hamilton South Labour MSP Tom McCabe did not return our calls.

A staff member said he was on holiday and out of the country.

Motherwell and Wishaw MP Frank Roy did not respond to our request for information, while Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP Tommy McAvoy said it would be made available by the April deadline.

Mr McAvoy said: “Come April 1, I will be complying with the requirements of the House of Commons.”

Mr McAvoy, however, faxed the Advertiser constituency details from his website which lists Eleanor McAvoy, his wife, as a member of staff.

We also contacted the constituency offices of East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow MSP Adam Ingram.

A message from a Maureen Ingram on the answering machine instructed callers to leave a message, and she would call them back.

Lanark and Hamilton East MP Jimmy Hood and Dumfries, Clydesdale and Tweeddale Conservative MP David Mundell do not employ any family as staff.

Clydesdale Labour MSP Karen Gillon, Motherwell and Wishaw Labour MSP Jack McConnell, Central Scotland Conservative MSP Margaret Mitchell, and Liberal Democrat MSP Hugh O’Donnell, and SNP list MSPs Linda Fabiani, Christina McKelvie and John Wilson do not employ any members of their family.

South of Scotland SNP MSP Aileen Campbell said her mother had worked for her last year for a two-month period on a part-time basis.

Tommy McAvoy: did not wish to answer.

Adam Ingram: did not reply to survey.

Margaret Mitchell: does not employ family.