Controversial ex-Labour MP on course for £40,000 pay-out despite contesting ‘no hope’ seat
A CONTROVERSIAL ex-Labour MP is on course for an estimated £40,000 pay-out after contesting his “no hope” seat.
Roger Godsiff is entitled to the money for standing in his Birmingham Hall Green seat at the election.
He was ejected as the official Labour candidate after being embroiled in a row over parents protesting at equality lessons.
Ex-MPs can pick up the entitlement known as Loss of Office Payment which works out at around £1500 for every year in the Commons.
Labour candidate Tahir Ali won the seat with 35,889 votes – a Labour majority of 28,000.
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Chris Williamson was suspended by Labour in February after saying the party was “too apologetic” in its dealings of anti-Semitism allegations.
He is on course to pick up £3,000 despite losing his deposit in Derby North.
Former Tory Ministers Anna Soubry and Anne Milton will also be entitled to payments.
It follows Lib Dem candidate Angela Smith who lost out on around £22,000 after standing in Altrincham and Sale West for the Lib Dems.
Smith, who has been an MP since 2005, would have been entitled to the money had she stood – but lost – in her old Peninstone and Stocksbridge seat.
An MP source said: “There’s very little chance of independent MPs winning in these no hope seats.”
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A spokesman for Ipsa, who regulate MPs’ salaries, pensions and business costs, said: “An incumbent MP who was a candidate for re-election in the same seat is eligible to receive a Winding-up Payment of two month’s salary and Loss of Office Payment equal to twice their statutory redundancy entitlement.
“Statutory redundancy entitlement requires two years of service. The Loss of Office Payment will be paid to the MP once they have completed all business with IPSA.”
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