Former UK MP jailed for role in expenses scandal
By ANIFriday, February 11, 2011
LONDON - Disgraced former Labour Member of Parliament Eric Illsley has been jailed for a year for fiddling with his parliamentary expenses. llsley, 55, is the first sitting Member of Parliament convicted of abusing expenses. He pleaded guilty last month to dishonestly claiming over 14,000 pounds of taxpayers’ money, The Telegraph reports.
He faced massive pressure to stand down as the MP for Barnsley Central after his conviction but did not quit until this week.
Wearing a charcoal suit, white shirt and a blue tie with red spots, Illsley showed little reaction when the sentence was passed.
After Mr.Justice Saunders told the dock officer to “send him down”, he bent down to pick up his overcoat and brown leather holdall and slowly turned around.
The disgraced former MP made the short walk to the door of the dock in Court 1, which leads down to the cells, and waved over his shoulder to a friend in the public gallery. (ANI)
