Taylor in the Big House

Former Conservative Peer Lord Taylor has been banged up for defrauding the taxpayer of about £11,000 worth of expenses. He is the first Lord to be convicted of expense abuse and joins a list of cross bench MPs enjoying Her Majesties hospitality following the recent outcry and downright skullduggery of those elected to represent us.

Now that got Hornet kind of wondering...


Locally we have seen largesse on the expenses which may well fall short of deliberate fraud, but they deliberately stretch the boundaries of what is reasonable.

We all know Cockle lavished a slap up meal on "someone" at the swanky Four Seasons Hotel in New York, paid for by the council tax payers of this borough - on one of his soirees over to Uncle Sam on very important business befitting of a Virgin Airways Upper Class ticket - the importance of having a single phone number for council services.

Cockle insists he can't remember who he entertained for dinner. Thats all very well and much said on these pages, but when the bill is being picked up by the tenants and residents its not bloody well good enough.

Who the hell does he think he is, if he is fit enough to be council leader then does he really expect us to believe he has a memory black out on that fateful evening?

The convicted fraudster Lord Taylor lied under oath when attempting to escape scrutiny of his expenses.

Cockell on the other hand is simply pleading the fifth amendment. The council allowed him to claim these expenses and have since changed the rules to prevent anyone else from doing it, with little or no questions asked. Why?

Bolting the door after the horse has done a runner.

Supporters of Cockle will bleat old news and drivel. But until his nibs 'fesses up and sheds some light on exactly who the council tax payers of Kensington and Chelsea entertained that night, and why it will continue to be mentioned again and again and again.