The Elliot Morley expenses story has been the biggest of my time at the Scunthorpe Telegraph. I’ve covered it in depth since it broke in May and you can read the bulk of my copy on this post from 2009. Two of the biggest stories are also attached below.
The story has moved on quickly in the past few weeks. Nic Dakin was selected as the Labour candidate from a long list of 32 people from across the country. I’ve covered the selection process in depth since it got underway in September.
The selection of Mr Dakin also means Scunthorpe now has its three main candidates in place. As part of my build-up to the General Election, I produced a Question Time style feature over three days to test the views of Mr Dakin, Conservative Caroline Johnson and Liberal Democrat Neil Poole.
In late 2009 Mr Morley returned to the headlines at the heart of speculation he could face charges over his expense claims. The MP declined to confirm he was facing possible prosecution but denied reports lawyers were working to avoid CPS action through Parliamentary Privilege. Meanwhile, as 2010 dawned, the three main candidates fighting for votes in Scunthorpe got their campaigns running in earnest.
As we move closer to the election, I hope to look at the other seats in North Lincolnshire and go further in questioning the candidates for Scunthorpe – a seat which I think could be one of the most fascinating in the country given the context behind the Labour Party selection process.
