Below is an Open Letter written by our Chair, Chris Chilton to Sarah Green MP following publication of an article entitled “Lib Dem MP paid £120,000 to firm run by party officials” in The Sunday Times dated 21st April 2024.  We hope that Ms Green clarifies these matters as soon as possible.

Dear Sarah,
I was deeply shocked when I read the article “Lib Dem MP paid £120,000 to firm run by party officials” in The Sunday Times dated 21^st April 2024.  I am also surprised that you have chosen not to clarify the events detailed in this article.
I am sure you agree that public servants must always not only “do the right thing” but they must also “be seen to do the right thing” if they are to preserve the integrity of their office.  It may be legal, but do you believe that awarding a £120,000 contract to a firm run by your friends within a few weeks of being elected as an MP passes the test of “being seen to do the right thing” to an average voter in Chesham & Amersham?

Given these events, I publicly call upon you to clarify the events detailed in this Sunday Times article and specifically to address three points:

1. Did you follow the Nolan Seven Principles of Public Life with respect to this contract?
   The Nolan Principles specifically state that all public office holders are servants of the public and stewards of public resource.  It also states specifically that they “should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family or their friends”.  Please explain how the decision to award this contract to Midas Training conforms with the requirements of The Nolan Principles.

3. Did you follow procurement best practise when committing the £120,000+ spend with Midas Training?
   In order to ensure value for money and to demonstrate probity, contracts of this magnitude should always be offered to a minimum of 3-4 potential vendors who then pitch for the business.  Which other vendors were considered before this contract was allocated to Midas Training?
   Given that you have a strong personal relationship with Candy Piercy (who is both the Managing Director of Midas Training and Vice-Chair of Chesham & Amersham Lib Dems)  and Miranda Roberts (who is both a Director of Midas Training and represents you on the Chesham & Amersham Lib Dem Executive Committee) did you formally recuse yourself from any involvement in the decision to award this contract to Midas Training?
4. Is the outsourcing of “Email Inbox Management” in this way legal?
   When voters write to their MP, they share their inner most difficulties and request help in the most confidential of manners.  They also expect that their email will be answered either by the MP themselves or by the staff employed by the MP who work in the MP’s office.
   Is outsourcing “Email Inbox Management” to contractors who are not employed by the MP and who work for an entirely different organisation legal under the GDPR regulations?  Do you seek the permission of the people who write to you before you forward their emails to this third-party company?

I look forward to receiving your reply to these questions and to you clarifying the events detailed in The Sunday Times article.

Yours sincerely
Chris Chilton
Chair – Chesham & Amersham Constituency Labour Party
Email:  chair@cheshamandamershamlabour.com