It’s difficult to have any sympathy for a man like Cllr Paul White aka Lord Hanningfield for fiddling his parliamentary expenses. He has been found guilty today on six counts of defrauding the taxpayer. BBC: http://bbc.in/lGq9TB Herts&Essex Observer:  http://bit.ly/iLAheR

Reading the reports of the trial this week was bewildering. The prosecution said he was the only person who says you can claim for travel when you haven’t travelled and for overnight accommodation when you haven’t stayed away from home. His defense was that he worked so hard and didn’t get paid enough, so he was entitled to fiddle his expenses to get what he thought he was entitled to.

Well, I’m sure I am not the only councillor who feels out of pocket from getting elected. I could list lots of opportunities missed to earn more money. But that was my choice; and it’s the choice of thousands of other councillors from all parties to give up something personal for the good of the community.

The attention so far has been on the House of Lords. I would not be surprised if attention now switched to Lord H’s other life at County Hall, Chelmsford. A can of worms may have been opened today. (*)

Sympathy? No. But sorrow? Yes. I am sad that this should happen to any councillor I have known and done council business with.

(*) 4pm BBC Essex has announced that Essex County Council has called in the police to investigate possible irregularities in Lord Hanngfield’s county council expenses. I find it to be curious that only today has Lord Hanningfield been suspended from the county council’s Conservative group. Wouldn’t a member of the council’s staff have been suspended long ago in similar circumstances? Suspension is not a comment on guilt; it is a neutral action.

6.30 pm I wish BBC Tv would stop using ancient footage showing me and Lord Hanningfield together outside the High Court – after a case on Stansted airport in 2003/04. People have asked if I am his chauffeur!