Today’s Independent reports that Dame Shirley Porter has returned to London after 12 years of self-imposed exile in Israel, Porter has bought a £1.5m flat in Mayfair close to the sumptuous Bayswater flat from which she masterminded a major gerrymandering operation during the 1980s.
The “homes for votes” affair was arguably the most scandalous case of political corruption in recent British history. It saw her convicted of selling council homes in marginal wards to prospective Tory voters. She was also found to have forced 122 homeless families likely to vote Labour out of eight marginal seats, forcing them instead to live in tower blocks that the council knew to be contaminated with asbestos.
At the time, Labour was threatening to take control of Westminster, which was seen as one of Tory flagship councils, following a near-victory in the 1986 elections. Following a district auditor's investigation in 1994, Dame Shirley was found guilty of wilful misconduct and gerrymandering, and ordered to pay surcharges of £31.6m to Westminster Council. This later rose to £42m with interest and legal fees.
She fled to Israel, which has no extradition treaty with the UK, and consistently refused to pay. Two years ago, Westminster, which is still run by the Conservatives, accepted £12.3m in settlement of her outstanding debt, and the case is now considered closed.
There is nothing to stop her returning to the UK but somehow I cannot imagine she will be anything but an unwelcome reminder of past Tory scandal. I doubt Cameron will be rushing to put her on his A list any time soon.
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4 comments:
well, in all fairness, israel is not the place to be these days. i imagine that she wanted to escape the war and havoc of the region. are you sure she is from london? sounds like she would fit right in in washington.
True, exile in Israel is not exactly desirable but I daresay a lot of people, especially conservatives, don't relish her presence in London again. It really was an appalling act of gerrymandering
What a time (at 76) to escape the war and havoc of the region
I think she is a loathesome specimen but on the other hand I can't say I blame her for voting with her feet
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