Complaint over Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith's election expenses

A Channel 4 News investigation has raised questions over the election expenses of Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith in the Richmond Park constituency that he gained from Susan Kramer and the Liberal Democrats in this year's general election.

The report was on Channel 4 at 7.30 p.m.

Why Lembit Öpik should not be the Lib Dem candidate for Mayor of London

Yesterday afternoon I was sat in Starbucks enjoying a coffee (triple shot venti skinny latte) and sandwich when I read the story on page 5 of The Guardian "Being London mayor would suit me: Öpik" and nearly choked on my coffee.

Well Lembit it may suit you, but will it suit Londoners?

Deep down no, I really, really don't think so.

Lembit, you really must learn that just because you think something is a great idea, not everyone will be with you as over recent years in various roles and things you have done within the Party.

I was the Agent and Campaign Manager for Brian Paddick during the 2008 Mayoral campaign so I know what I am talking about when I say that London does not need a stand up comedian, chat show contestant, known for dating TV weather girl Sian Lloyd and then one of the Cheeky Girls with appearances in Hello magazine.

Yes, I know you could argue they got a similar breed with Boris Johnson, but actually it was very interesting on the night of the last Mayoral count when Boris turned to Ken and me and said "Have I really won?".

Boris went very serious and then just got on with the job, I just don't see Lembit Öpik doing the same nor being able to do the job.

The job of Mayor of London requires a serious attitude, something I have yet to see in Lembit.

You cannot clown around forever and not expect people to treat you as a joke all the time.

I've also beaten Lembit before in an election before when I ran Simon Hughes campaign to become the President of the Liberal Democrats back in 2004, Lembit just assumed that parading around local party events with Sian Lloyd draped on his arm would win him the election.

I think Sian would have beaten Lembit if she had stood against him.  In the end Lembit didn't even manage to get 20% of the vote.

Lembit was a great joke teller (not comedian), after dinner speaker and worked hard for his constituents in his Montgomeryshire constituency.

I don't see the CBI or Unions taking a blind bit of notice of him if he was Mayor of London, he has been a joke character for such a long time both in and outside of the Party and as the saying goes after a while the mud sticks.

Lembit, if you want to make a difference then do so, but being the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London is a serious role, just look at the three previous candidates - Susan Kramer, Simon Hughes and Brian Paddick - they are in a different mould to you I'm afraid.

I actually hope that Susan Kramer will consider standing again.

Cameron's Conservatives in NHS hospital hypocrisy

I know it is no great shock to learn that the Conservatives say one thing and then do entirely the opposite but it is important that voters understand that this is coming from the supposed Prime Minister and Government in waiting.

Now, let's overlook the fact that the Conservatives are being completely arogant and most of them actually think they have already won this election.

Just last week we saw David Cameron campaigning in Kingston hospital, this is the very same hospital that the Conservatives attacked the Liberal Democrats for scaremongering about it's closure - as I say why should that stop the Conservatives saying one thing and then do the opposite?

Liberal Democrat MPs Susan Kramer (Richmond Park) and Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton) have vowed to fight the secret Labour plans to close both A&E and Maternity services at Kingston Hospital.

Picture shows Susan Kramer, Nick Clegg and Edward Davey campaigning to save Kingston Hospital.

Senior NHS staff have blown the whistle on Labour proposals to close both Accident & Emergency services and Maternity services at Kingston Hospital.

The two MPs have been told this information by 5 senior NHS staff, including 4 chief executives and 1 senior clinician, at 4 separate meetings.

You can now read the leaked pages from the South West London Strategic Plan which was due to be published in December, but was pulled at the last moment over on Susan Kramer's website.

The Conservatives however accused the Liberal Democrats of electioneering and scaremongering but eventually realised that Suan Kramer and Edward Davey were in fact right and with their tails firmly between their legs they joined the Liberal Democrats campaign.

Now let's fast forward to yesterday.

David Cameron's Conservatives attacked the Labour Party for launching their manifesto in an NHS hospital, that's right, last week David Cameron was campaigining in an NHS hospital and now has actually attacked both the Liberal Democrats and Labour for campaigning in NHS hospitals.

Bloody hypocrites.

It just shows that despite Cameron's rhetoric that underneath the teflon (borrowed from Tony Blair and Edinburgh 'Eck) it is the same old Tories, just more arrogant and hypocritical than ever before.

Hypocritical Tories - Zac Goldsmith admits to being a 'non-dom' and avoiding paying tax in UK

Another week and another Tory being a complete hypocrite shock, this week it is the turn of Zac Goldsmith who has finally admitted being a 'non-dom', short for non-domicile tax status, enabling him to avoid paying sums of tax on his estimated £200million personal fortune.

David Cameron's green advisers disclosure further risks embarrassing the Conservative party, he confirmed that he is a “non-dom” who can legitimately escape paying tax on his inheritance from his late father, Sir James Goldsmith. Much of it is held offshore to The Sunday Times.

Zac Goldsmith, who is the Tory candidate in Richmond Park has told The Sunday Times that he plans to give up his non-dom status next year. Hmmm, is it a coincidence that the general election is next year?

Well, I really hope Susan Kramer MP will ensure every voter in Richmond Park knows about this tax avoidance from the Tory candidate, how on earth can the Tories criticise tax plans from the government when members of David Cameron's team are not paying their share?

The Tories have long criticised non-doms for avoiding tax. George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, has pledged to impose a £25,000 annual levy on their wealth. While Lord Ashcroft, the party’s biggest donor, is under pressure to confirm his tax status to comply with promises made when he took a peerage. But here we have one of their big names openly admitting tax avoidance.

Zac Goldsmith's comment has draw criticism from key opposition politicians including Lord Matthew Oakeshott, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman in the House of Lords who said to The Sunday Times: “Cameron must sack Zac Goldsmith as a candidate now. He’s not fit to sit in parliament, when he’s claimed non-dom status all his life to keep his offshore hundreds of millions free of income, capital gains or inheritance tax. He must pay the millions he’s dodged to the British taxman.”

Well done to Matthew, absolutely spot on.

George Osborne and David Cameron say one thing to the public to try and get votes and here we see how they act in private, utterly appalling and once again highlights their hypocritical approach and attitude.

I've also bought a piece of land by Heathrow

Greenpeace have bought a plot of land right by where the proposed third runway would be at Heathrow. They are splitting this piece of land between 'beneficiary owners' who don't have to pay anything but will be signing up to show support.

I've signed up - as have Susan Kramer MP, Jo Swinson MP, Lynne Featherstone MP, Sandra Gidley MP and Simon Hughes MP - as have thousands of others.

So if you're interested and want to help stop Gordon Brown's Government embarking on this absolutely stupid decision to build a 3rd runway at Heathrow, visit the Greenpeace site.

I worked in Twickenham for Vince Cable for three years so I know first hand what damage this expansion would do, not just all the obvious environmental arguments, but the increased traffic - the local roads hardly cope now and the increased noise.

I recall the days when Concord used to land and take off, not only could you set your clock by it but the windows rattled and your ears knew about it, now I know that the planes used today aren't as loud as that, but what impact does the constant noise of planes landing and taking off have on the average person who lives within a few miles of Heathrow like my friends and residents in places like Twickenham?