Yeah but no but yeah but no but...

Teh Telegraph...

Miss Dorries, who once complained that MPs had become victims of a “witch-hunt”, is the subject of an inquiry by John Lyon, the parliamentary commissioner for standards.

Mr Lyon is investigating a complaint about controversial claims for tens of thousands of pounds in “second home” allowances made by the MP for Mid Bedfordshire.

And the problem? Well, Commons rules dictate that normally an MPs' main home is the one they spend most nights at and seeing as Nadines' constituency home houses her dogs and one of her daughters lives there and goes to a local school and Nadine only lives anywhere else some weekends and holidays, it looks like her constituency home is her main home.

Nadine at first said there wasn't an investigation, but then backtracked...

When contacted on Friday Miss Dorries first said that she was not the subject of an inquiry and that the complaint made about her did not relate to her use of allowances.

She later said: “A complaint has been made to the standards commissioner regarding myself by an officer of the BNP.

“As with all complaints, John Lyon is looking at whether it has any substance. I am providing him with information to prove that it has not.

"The complaint relates to the number of nights I slept at my homes."

Nadine may provide John Lyons with evidence, but as to whether it proves what Nadine wants it to prove, I wouldn't be too sure as Nadine doesn't seem too sure of the rules herself.



hat-tip Liberal Conspiracy

update:
(Although it's only been ten minutes or so since this post was published, was was published so it is technically an update)

I've just come across this quote by Nadine, via Split Horizons, from her appearance on Radio 4s' Any Questions...

You know can I just say before I begin cos I feel I need to say this always now. My name's Nadine Dorries. I'm an MP. I've never claimed for mortgage on my expenses. Therefore I have never flipped. I have never benefited in any way. I've never claimed for a cleaner or a gardener, a duck house, a moat or anything. I don't own a company that I pay funds into. I've never claimed for petty cash or for food ... And I feel I need to say that now to every person that I meet. And my expenses were poured over by the scrutiny and I do not have to pay a penny back in misclaimed expenses. [APPLAUSE]