Annex 206
Letter to Mr Andrew Walker, Director of
Finance and Administration, House of Commons, from the Registrar
of Members` Interests
Elizabeth Filkin and I are very grateful to you and
Archie Cameron for sparing the time to talk to us yesterday about
the Scottish Labour Party (SLP) budget figures as they relate
to the complaint against Dr Reid and Mr Maxton.
You kindly agreed to think further about the figures
and, in particular, you offered to let us have a brief analysis
of both the innocent, as well as the more questionable, interpretation
which might be placed upon them in the light of the main thrust
of the complaint about alleged misuse of public funds.
In return I agreed to let you have four items of
further information, as follows:
(i) the original
SLP budget documents (the authenticity of the first of which is
still challenged by Labour Party HQ in London)
(ii) details of the bonuses paid to the three researchers
(iii) the contract letters sent to Mr Reid and Mr Winslow
(iv) the previous employment history with the Party of the
three researchers.
Item (i) is included in the attached letter from
Mr Alex Rowley (former General Secretary of the SLP), together
with his explanation as to why he thought `topping up` may have
been built into the budget assumptions.
Items (ii) and (iii) are included in the attached
letter from Jonathan Upton, Director of Personnel at Labour Party
HQ in London.
As far as item (iv) is concerned, the information
is as follows:
Kevin Reid
joined the Labour Party on a part-time contract (15 hours a week)
on 25 May 1998, before becoming full-time on 12 October 1998
Chris Winslow joined the
Labour Party on a part-time contract (15 hours a week) on 13 June
1998, before going on to a 30 hours a week contract on 3 November
1998
Suzanne Hilliard has never
been employed by the Labour Party but has worked for them as a
volunteer, subject to reimbursement of expenses.
Thank you again for your help.
11 May 2000
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