So it turned out that Denis MacShane was already under investigation over alleged misuse of parliamentary expense claims before his relection in May this year, yet the Parliamentary Standards Office did not see fit to release this information before the general election. Richard Wilson is right to be annoyed by this:
The Parliamentary Standards Office made a deliberate decision to withhold crucial information from UK voters ahead of the 2010 General Election. The voters of Rotherham – and for all we know many other constituencies around the country – were thus prevented from making an informed choice about the candidates seeking their votes. It’s only now, five months after the election has taken place, that the full picture is beginning to emerge. It may be another four years before Rotherham voters can express their judgement on this at the ballot box.
Knowing that your local MP is a crook –allegedly– seems to me to be pretty basic in deciding whether or not you’d re-elect them. Keeping that information from the public is not helpful.