PAUL ROWEN has blasted ‘unsubstantiated and false’ accusations he used taxpayers’ money to fund party-political activity.

The Liberal Democrat Rochdale MP gave a point-by-point refutation of opponents’ claims about his expenses.

He said he had been ‘shocked’ by the allegations – and wanted to put the record straight for his constituents.

"I have always striven to put Rochdale first," he told the Observer.

Mr Rowen made clear:

• He only spent £3,539.06 on printing and advertising, and not the reported figure of £26,000.
• The ‘annual report’ that money helped to pay for was signed off by House of Commons officials as NOT being party political.
• The ‘advertising’ was also for non-party political purposes – alerting constituents to surgeries and Mr Rowen’s contact details.
• His claims for a string of minor food items – including 40p for a banana, 5p for an Asda ‘bag for life’ and £1.29 for Burger King fries – were for an unpaid intern, as per parliamentary rules.
• His Drake Street offices, while part-owned by the Lib Dems, are paid for at a market rate – an arrangement common to many MPs.

Mr Rowen said: "It is frustrating that I have been criticised, and that unsubstantiated allegations have been made against me.

"I have never paid for the printing of political leaflets using my expenses.

"To do so would be illegal.

"I placed adverts in externally printed party newspapers advertising my surgeries and printing posters for my surgeries for display in libraries and community centres."

On the rental for his offices, the MP added: "Many MPs – including the Prime Minister – rent offices from political parties or supporters.

"The rules for this are clear. It must be a fair market rent determined by an independent surveyor. That was what I did."

Mr Rowen said £4,000 he had paid the north west regional Lib Dems in consultancy fees had paid for ‘invaluable research and advice on region-wide policy issues’.

It also funded ‘assistance with region-wide media content, communications and coverage, staff training and staff management advice’, he said, as well as ‘cross-constituency event co-ordination, liaison and promotion of MPs’ work across the region and access to regional office services and administration staff’.

He added: "All MPs claim allowances and expenses to enable them to do their job.

"I welcome the greater transparency but the media, whilst exposing wrong doing where it occurs, has a duty to report these fairly and responsibly.

"As someone born and bred in Rochdale, it has always been my ambition to represent the people of my town.

"I have done this conscientiously and my staff and I have always striven to put Rochdale first. Whether this is by the thousands of cases we do on an annual basis, fighting for extra resources like our new sixth form college, Metrolink and bus station or campaigning for the very best services for our town."

THE Rochdale Observer would like to make it clear it has no information that Paul Rowen MP was using Parliamentary expenses to fund Liberal Democrat political activities and apologises if any reader got that impression.