Latest Piggy Caught In Mortgage Fraud

Chaytor (left): Receiving Stolen Goods

Bury MP David Chaytor is the latest Labour backbencher to have swindled the taxpayer over a phantom mortgage.

According to the Telegraph he admitted last night that he had claimed almost £13,000 in interest payments for a mortgage that he had already repaid. The report goes on:

Lawyers said that his claims, which were similar to those made by Elliot Morley, the former environment minister, could constitute a criminal offence under the 2006 Fraud Act and the 1968 Theft Act.

Jesus H Christ! Enough is enough!

It's time for parliament to be dissolved, a general election to be called and the prosecutions to begin.

==Update==
Swiss Bob on that encyclopedic source of political gossip, The Daily Politics, did some superb research earlier today. He has demonstrated beyond any shadow of a doubt that the piggies have a criminal case to answer. The crime? Malfeasance. Here's that law in action:

Under English law malfeasance in public office is also a tort. In the House of Lords judgement on the BCCI Malfeasance Case it was held that this had three essential elements:

1. The defendant must be a public officer
2. The defendant must have been exercising his power as a public officer
3. The defendant is either exercising targeted malice or exceeding his powers.

The Crown Prosecution Service guidelines on this offence say that the elements of the offence are when:

1. A public officer acting as such.
2. Wilfully neglects to perform his duty and/or wilfully misconducts himself.
3. To such a degree as to amount to an abuse of the public's trust in the office holder.
4. Without reasonable excuse or justification.

We're the public. Do we still trust them? Exactly. It's time for the police.