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False expenses claim Tory MP Chris Davies fined £1,500













An MP convicted of a false expenses claim has been ordered to complete 50 hours unpaid work and fined £1,500.


Conservative MP for Brecon and Radnorshire Chris Davies pleaded guilty to providing false or misleading information for allowances claims and attempting to do so in March.


Davies, 51, made an "unreserved apology" following his sentencing at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday.

He now faces a recall petition amid calls for his resignation.


Davies must complete the community order within 12 months and was also ordered to pay £2,500 in costs.

Tom Forster QC, defending, said it was likely Mr Davies's career was in "tatters"


Labour and the Liberal Democrats have called for him to resign, but in a statement,  Davies said he wanted to "move on and continue" his role as an MP.


"I have accepted today's ruling and want to take this opportunity to make an unreserved apology," he said.

"I would like to reiterate that I made a mistake and at no point did I at any time try to make any financial gain."


The Conservatives said Mr Davies has been given "formal warning" from the chief whip Julian Smith.


A party spokesman said "it is right that the people of Brecon and Radnorshire now get to have their say about whether they still support Mr Davies".


Mr Justice Edis said the MP's actions were "highly discreditable" and it "remains shocking that when confronted with a simple accounting problem you thought the simplest thing to do was to forge documents".


The office for the Commons' Speaker John Bercow is now expected to ask officials to open a recall petition - a by-election will be held if 10% of the MP's constituents sign it.


The figure needed to trigger a by-election is yet to be confirmed, but it is thought about 5,300 names would be required.


Following the sentencing, the Welsh Liberal Democrats said Davies "should resign immediately and give Brecon and Radnorshire the chance to elect a new voice to represent them in Parliament".




An MP convicted of a false expenses claim has been ordered to complete 50 hours unpaid work and fined £1,500.


Conservative MP for Brecon and Radnorshire Chris Davies pleaded guilty to providing false or misleading information for allowances claims and attempting to do so in March.


Davies, 51, made an "unreserved apology" following his sentencing at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday.


He now faces a recall petition amid calls for his resignation.


Davies must complete the community order within 12 months and was also ordered to pay £2,500 in costs.


Tom Forster QC, defending, said it was likely Mr Davies's career was in "tatters"


Labour and the Liberal Democrats have called for him to resign, but in a statement,  Davies said he wanted to "move on and continue" his role as an MP.


"I have accepted today's ruling and want to take this opportunity to make an unreserved apology," he said.

"I would like to reiterate that I made a mistake and at no point did I at any time try to make any financial gain."


The Conservatives said Mr Davies has been given "formal warning" from the chief whip Julian Smith.

A party spokesman said "it is right that the people of Brecon and Radnorshire now get to have their say about whether they still support Mr Davies".


Mr Justice Edis said the MP's actions were "highly discreditable" and it "remains shocking that when confronted with a simple accounting problem you thought the simplest thing to do was to forge documents".

The office for the Commons' Speaker John Bercow is now expected to ask officials to open a recall petition - a by-election will be held if 10% of the MP's constituents sign it.


The figure needed to trigger a by-election is yet to be confirmed, but it is thought about 5,300 names would be required.


Following the sentencing, the Welsh Liberal Democrats said Davies "should resign immediately and give Brecon and Radnorshire the chance to elect a new voice to represent them in Parliament".


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