Lord Hanningfield ordered to pay back a further £37k of expenses

Lord Hanningfield Lord Hanningfield

DISGRACED former county council leader Lord Hanningfield has been ordered to pay back more than £37,000 or face 15 months behind bars.

The Conservative peer, whose real name is Paul White, was found guilty of falsely claiming nearly £14,000 of parliamentary expenses in May last year.

Hanningfield - who led Essex County Council for ten years before his arrest in 2010 - served nine weeks of a nine-month sentence.

He repaid £28,000 of expenses before he was allowed to return to Parliament in March.

A judge at Southwark Crown Court yesterday ordered him to pay back a further £37,158.50 or face 15 months in jail.

Hanningfield had falsely claimed for train journeys, petrol and hotel stays in London when he had returned to his home near Chelmsford.

Comments(25)

Citizen 139 says...
2:04pm Thu 27 Sep 12

Best news I've heard all week.

perini says...
2:29pm Thu 27 Sep 12

Good - when I heard him being interviewed he still didn't get it! As far as he was concerned it was victimisation and he hadn't anything wrong - I also think more of them should have been locked up alongside Hanningfield but that's British Justice 2012 style for you.

eurodoomed says...
2:31pm Thu 27 Sep 12

Pity he isn't gay. He'd be a member of the Cabinet by now, particularly if he was Lib Dem. One rule for Tories, another for Lib Dems.

CALL ME CLINT says...
2:34pm Thu 27 Sep 12

I recently watched Hanningfield being interviewed on the BBC's 'Hard Talk' programme.

I was struck by the lack of remorse he showed and his constant carping back to his "40 years of public service".

He clearly holds the general public in contempt and thinks we will not see through his nonsense. I see 40 years of self service and a pompous, arrogant individual who lacks the backbone to admit his blatant dishonesty and accept the consequences of his actions.

Gay Ray says...
2:40pm Thu 27 Sep 12

eurodoomed wrote:
Pity he isn't gay. He'd be a member of the Cabinet by now, particularly if he was Lib Dem. One rule for Tories, another for Lib Dems.
Interesting you should make this point. I have a friend who knows the naughty peer quite well and from what he's told me Hanningfield would have been a cabinet member a long time ago if it works the way you suggest.

Say It As It Is OK? says...
2:58pm Thu 27 Sep 12

Always thought Paul White, aka Hangingfield, was as straight as a nine bob note!

Hatpeg says...
3:45pm Thu 27 Sep 12

What has happened to the investigation that he had also defrauded Essex County Council?

Is that still ongoing ?

Kim Gandy says...
4:42pm Thu 27 Sep 12

Hanningfield is just another low down piece of Tory filth; mind you, filth comes in all forms nowadays , Labour, Tory, Libdem in particular are positively pulsating with filth. They really are in it all for themselves and I can count one or two decent local Tories on the fingers of one hand. I hold most of Basildon Council in particular in high contempt - there's nothing to choose between the lot of them. County council is the same. Next election it's time for the people of Essex to boot out all these dinosaurs and vote in some independents. That way you know you are not having party politics rammed down your throats and there is less likely to be corruption.

saywhatyousee says...
4:42pm Thu 27 Sep 12

Fraud is fraud and should be dealt with accordingly. Pay it back or go to prison! Many people would love the luxury of choice. They're all corrupt to the bone.

Kim Gandy says...
4:43pm Thu 27 Sep 12

Gay Ray wrote:
eurodoomed wrote:
Pity he isn't gay. He'd be a member of the Cabinet by now, particularly if he was Lib Dem. One rule for Tories, another for Lib Dems.
Interesting you should make this point. I have a friend who knows the naughty peer quite well and from what he's told me Hanningfield would have been a cabinet member a long time ago if it works the way you suggest.
Aren't they all the same anyway? Liblabcon.. couldn't get a fag paper between them all... no matter what colour the rosette most are leftie liberal, Marxist and pinko Marxists

leslog says...
5:41pm Thu 27 Sep 12

ordinary JOE BLOGGS people are NOW PAYING THE PRICE, FOR HIM AND OTHERS LIKE HIM,HEADS IN BANKS,AND OTHERS, WHY DO THE REST OF US HAVE TO BE SCREWED ,ITS GROSSLY UNFAIR,THE MAJORITY WHO CAN BARELY MAKE ENDS MEET TOLD TO KEEP TIGHTENING THERE BELT ,HANG ON I WILL JUST MAKE ANOTHER HOLE

notabot says...
6:23pm Thu 27 Sep 12

If mr smith has been grossly dishonest,
found dishonest by a court of law,
how many of his everyday work decisions were dishonest & corrupt.
In one council of essex, we had monies go to "other projects"
Mr smith was up to speed with things in that council,
and may/may not have known of Impropper use of them monies uses.
In 40 years, just how can you gauge impropper use, whether it was frudulent, corrupt or just wromg.

Brentwood done very well out of funds they say!

Some other councils in outer essex done much worse with realocation of funds elsewhere.

cant say it more plainly,so,

HOW do we get our monies back!

muffindamule says...
7:49pm Thu 27 Sep 12

That White has been given the option of paying back the money he stole or receiving a prison sentence makes a mockery of our judicial system. A custodial sentence should be mandatory and in addition to an order requiring him to return the money he stole to its rightful owner.

Radioship says...
9:35pm Thu 27 Sep 12

WILL HE PAY IT BACK ..?????
WILL HE BE PUT BEHIND BARS ??
And
IF HE IS WILL IT BE FOR THE FULL TIME (or just 15 days!)
Just
FORCE HIM TO PAY IT. ALL. BACK
and LOCK HIM UP FOR .... THE FULL PERIOD .....THIS TIME.
and
NEVER EVER ALLOW HIM INTO THE ROLE HE. "PLAYED" ever again
End of

Im_Like_HELLO says...
4:41pm Fri 28 Sep 12

You would have thought that by now Paul White (for that is his real name, by which he should be called) would have took it on the chin and shut up, but he still protests he did nothing wrong.

HARRY438 says...
8:24am Sat 29 Sep 12

While we're at it lets discuss the Hon.Harry Cohen whose ( official) full time residence in Colchester is nothing more than a brick shed on the corner of East Stockwell St. & Quakers Lane.He comes down from Wanstead about twice a year...when the weather's nice. Is he still putting in the claims? Anyone care to bring us up to speed?

mis tree says...
12:01pm Sat 29 Sep 12

He should be forced to sell any property he has and pay it back.
Any property he has got, he got by illegal means. After all, he was found guilty!
While he keeps harping on about 40 years public service - it just makes you wonder how much more he got away with over the years that hasn't been uncovered!

brain1 says...
6:56am Sun 30 Sep 12

Yes "40 years public service" and all the time he could have been screwing the Essex public
A disgrace he is still allowed to sit in the Lords

Sdapeze says...
5:14pm Tue 2 Oct 12

Haqnningfield and Archer are both a disgrace to the House of Lords and it surely cannot be difficult to change the law to eject them from such a privileged position. I have no issue with privilege per se but it has to be earned. It will be interesting to see hwhere the said lord will find this money being as his only stated income was from the council. But as to the other expenses fiddling MPs of both sides of the politic spectrum, let them stay in position so that the people may decide their future. Our home candidate of Mr Cohen and his £104,701 received has been dealt with and is no longer an MP. But of course we don't hear much about him because he was (whisper) Labour.

6079 Smith W says...
10:33pm Tue 2 Oct 12

Kim Gandy wrote:
Gay Ray wrote:
eurodoomed wrote:
Pity he isn't gay. He'd be a member of the Cabinet by now, particularly if he was Lib Dem. One rule for Tories, another for Lib Dems.
Interesting you should make this point. I have a friend who knows the naughty peer quite well and from what he's told me Hanningfield would have been a cabinet member a long time ago if it works the way you suggest.
Aren't they all the same anyway? Liblabcon.. couldn't get a fag paper between them all... no matter what colour the rosette most are leftie liberal, Marxist and pinko Marxists
This has to be a wind up. To think this nasty, old Etonian, extremist right government, could be described like this, would involve the total absence of any sanity. And the Iraq war and banking deregulation are hardly the actions of 'leftie liberal, Marxist and pinko Marxists (sic)!

jut1972 says...
2:31pm Wed 3 Oct 12

You forgot neo-marxists, crypto-marxists, long haired louts, short haired louts, wreckers of law and order, communists, maoists, trotsykists, neo-trotskyists, union leaders, namby pamby probation officers...

6079 Smith W says...
7:12pm Wed 3 Oct 12

jut1972 wrote:
You forgot neo-marxists, crypto-marxists, long haired louts, short haired louts, wreckers of law and order, communists, maoists, trotsykists, neo-trotskyists, union leaders, namby pamby probation officers...
While we're at it, what about anarchists, Luxemburgists, syndicalists, hippies, beatniks, CNDers, crusties, eco-warriors, punks, cross-dressers, hoody wearers, veggies, and social workers?

However, when you consider cuts to policing, perhaps Cameron et al could be described as 'wreckers of law and order' after all?!

jut1972 says...
8:05pm Wed 3 Oct 12

good point. especially crusties - with their dogs on strings. the unwashed scum.

havent heard of Luxembourgists. Probably not right minded euro sceptics though I'm guessing ;)

Anyone know where I can commit some fraud and then pay back the money a few years later and avoid jail, whilst enjoying the benefits of having some dosh?

6079 Smith W says...
8:46pm Wed 3 Oct 12

Bit of an obscure one from me there, followers of Rosa Luxemburg, leader of the failed German revolution.

Personally, it's the social workers I really hate. Ain't you noticed, only have to put 'ist' on the end of social, and look where you've got? So it's obvious, do gooder, Liberal-Democrat, Rosa Luxemburg loving Trots, such as that red under the bed, George Osboune, bringing the country down. People need to wake up and smell the coffee.

romantic says...
12:23pm Thu 4 Oct 12

jut and winston, here´s the full bit from Reggie Perrin:

Jimmy´s recruting for his new defence army, and explaining to Reggie who they are against.

Jimmy Anderson: Wreckers of law and order. Communists, Maoists, Trotskyists, neo-Trotskyists, crypto-Trotskyists, union leaders, Communist union leaders, atheists, agnostics, long-haired weirdos, short-haired weirdos, vandals, hooligans, football supporters, namby-pamby probation officers, rapists, papists, papist rapists, foreign surgeons - headshrinkers, who ought to be locked up, Wedgwood Benn, keg bitter, punk rock, glue-sniffers, "Play For Today", Clive Jenkins, Roy Jenkins, Up Jenkins, up everybody's, Chinese restaurants - why do you think Windsor Castle is ringed with Chinese restaurants?

Reginald Perrin: You realise the sort of people you're going to attract, don't you, Jimmy? Thugs, bully-boys, psychopaths, sacked policemen, security guards, sacked security guards, racialists, ****-bashers, queer-bashers, Chink-bashers, anybody-bashers, rear Admirals, queer admirals, Vice Admirals, fascists, neo-fascists, crypto-fascists, loyalists, neo-loyalists, crypto-loyalists.

Jimmy Anderson: Do you think so? I thought recruitment might be difficult.

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