‘Give us our cash back’

The leader of Croydon Council is demanding the borough's Tory party pay back around £6,000 of expenses claimed by one of its councillors who was disqualified last week.

Former Selsdon and Ballards councillor Julian Storey was booted out of the town hall last Thursday after he failed to attend any council meetings for the last six months.

However, he continued to receive expenses long after he stopped performing civic duties and almost £940 a month was paid into his bank account during his period of absence.

Legally Mr Storey does not have to pay the money back as all councillors are entitled to receive expenses until they are disqualified, stand down or lose an election.

However, the council leader is calling on either Mr Storey or his political party to reimburse taxpayers.

Councillor Tony Newman said: "I am asking local Conservatives on behalf of taxpayers to give us our money back and apologise.

"Did the Conservative group know Mr Storey had turned his back on his constituents and was not attending any council meetings? If so, why was no action taken to ensure he got back to work?

"During his six months absence Mr Storey was entitled to £6,000 in allowances money that could be spent improving services."

As a councillor who also sat on the working and living scrutiny sub-committee Mr Storey was entitled to basic councillor expenses of £11,264 during the 2005/06 financial year.

He last attended a council meeting in the summer and his expenses were stopped on January 18.

Councillor Mike Fisher, leader of the Croydon Conservatives, does not believe his party should be responsible for paying the money back.

"It is a matter for Mr Storey," he said. "It's an unfortunate matter because up until that point he was a good and effective councillor for Selsdon and Ballards.

"Unfortunately, because of his business activities, starting a new career, he's not been in Croydon quite as much as we would have liked."

Coun Fisher said he repeatedly wrote to Mr Storey about his non-attendance but says the nature of the former councillor's job as a pilot in the Channel Islands meant he was not in Croydon very often. He also said he was unaware of Mr Storey continuing to receive expenses.

He added: "The system used to pay expenses means that the annual sum is paid in instalments each month, directly into councillors' accounts.

"The only further action we can take is to write to him again about the expenses and ask him to explain what he has been doing. It may be that some of the expenses will be paid back to the council."

Coun Fisher said the issue of whether Mr Storey could remain a member of the Conservative Party would not be dealt with at a local level.

Mr Storey's expulsion is thought to be the first of its kind in Croydon and has sent shockwaves round the town hall.

It has raised questions about how a councillor could be legally entitled to expenses until he was kicked out despite failing to attend enough meetings to fulfil minimum statutory requirements.

He is the second Conservative to leave the party in three months. Audrey Marie Yates quit last November.

Mr Storey was unavailable for comment as the Croydon Guardian went to press.

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