Keen and her MP husband Alan Keen used their combined second homes allowances to buy an apartment on the South Bank of the River Thames. The Waterloo apartment was nine miles from their constituency home in Brentford, a 30-minute drive from Westminster.
In 2009, their Brentford home was occupied by squatters [18] after it was unoccupied for 9–12 months following a dispute with a building firm undertaking renovation work. In defending their part in the expenses scandal the Keens stated "we have advocated, strongly supported, and voted for the introduction of Freedom of Information legislation. We are pleased that the point has been reached when full details of MPs' expenses are being published on a regular basis for everyone to see".
A formal investigation into the Keens' expenses by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards ruled in March 2010 that the Keens had breached the expenses rules and that he regarded the breach of the rules as "serious", and involving "significant public funds". He suggested the Keens pay back four months worth of their claims – some £5,678. However, The Commons Standards and Privileges Committee of MPs disagreed with his findings and ordered them to repay £1,500. [19]
Misuse of stationery
In May 2009 the Parliamentary ombudsman instructed Keen to repay £4,583 for sending unsolicited letters to her constituents. Keen invited them to coffee mornings using prepaid envelopes and on House of Commons headed stationery, a breach of Parliamentary rules as they are only permitted to be used for replies. Keen said the correspondence was sent by "a new member of staff ... on House of Commons instead of constituency stationery. When it was brought to my attention I immediately refunded the cost." [20] [21]
In April 2005 Keen also attracted criticism for using schools to distribute party political material to children's parents. [22] [23]
John Taylor's failed legal claim
In February 2009 constituent John Taylor alleged Keen had breached her 'duty of care' to a constituent in failing to assist his attempts in achieving compensation for wrongful imprisonment. Keen was initially ordered to pay £15,000 in damages by a judgment entered in default, but the ruling was later set aside, with the judge stating there was no entitlement in law for him to bring such a claim. Keen said, "As an MP I deal with huge numbers of cases each year for my constituents, many of which have successful outcomes. "Unfortunately, some cases for a variety of reasons do not have successful outcomes. Despite trying my hardest for Mr Taylor for more than 10 years since 1997, this was one such case." [24] The case was believed to be the first of its kind. [25] [26]
Personal life
She married Alan Keen, who sat as a Labour MP from 1992 until his death in 2011, in 1980. Her sister, Sylvia Heal, also a former Labour MP, was one of three Deputy Speakers of the House of Commons under former Speaker Michael Martin. [27] Keen has two sons and one daughter. In 1966, as an unmarried mother, she was forced to give up her son for adoption at his birth and was only reunited with him in 1997. [28]
References
- ↑ Communications Team (3 August 2007). "Health Minister returns to her roots". Ashford and St. Peters Hospitals NHS Trust. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
- 1 2 "Vote 2001: Ann Keen". BBC News. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
- ↑ "Democracy Live: Ann Keen". BBC News. Archived from the original on 14 November 2009. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
- ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2006. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ↑ Rentoul, John; Ward, Stephen; MacIntyre, Donald (9 January 1996). "Labour blow as all-women lists outlawed" . The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ↑ "Brentford and Isleworth Conservative: Mary Macleod". The Guardian. London.
- 1 2 "Ann Keen: Electoral history and profile". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
- ↑ Top Tory defects to Labour. Publisher: The Guardian . Published: 19 December 1999. Retrieved: 12 April 2012.
- 1 2 Mp, Labour (21 October 2002). "Ann Keen". BBC News. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ↑ Thomas, Jessica (7 May 2010). "Mary Macleod defeats Labour's Ann Keen". Hounslow Chronicle . Retrieved 15 December 2011.
- ↑ Moore, Matthew (12 November 2009). "Nursing reforms: profile of minister Ann Keen". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 17 November 2009. Retrieved 12 November 2009.
- ↑ "EDM1292 – Equitable Care For Women With Ovarian Cancer". Parliament. 7 May 1998. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
- ↑ "Blair Babes: where are they now?". Channel 4 News. 10 June 2009. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
- ↑ Front Line Care: the future of nursing and midwifery in England
- ↑ "Heathrow Third Runway – rethink the plans – rejected". The Public Whip . Retrieved 2 January 2010.
- 1 2 "Keens vote in favour of third runway at Heathrow". Houndslow & Chiswick Times. 29 January 2009.
- ↑ "Campaigns". Ann Keen. Archived from the original on 6 May 2007.
- ↑ Swaine, Jon (10 July 2009). "MPs' expenses: Alan and Ann Keen face formal sleaze investigation". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
- ↑ Labour's Ann and Alan Keen ordered to repay £1,500. (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ↑ Razaq, Rashid (15 May 2009). "'Mrs Expenses' told to repay £4,583 for letters". Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
- ↑ "Ann Keen MP apologises over misuse of Commons stationery". Hounslow & Chiswick Times. 23 May 2009. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
- ↑ Waugh, Paul (1 April 2005). "Children 'used' for party propaganda". Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
- ↑ Waugh, Paul (5 April 2005). "MP 'using children to distribute propaganda'". Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
- ↑ War veteran's case against Ann Keen MP overturned (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)
- ↑ Simpson, Aislinn (4 February 2009). "Labour MP first to be sued for 'laziness'". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ↑ Wheeler, Brian (29 April 2009). "MP 'has no duty to constituent'". BBC News.
- ↑ Watt, Holly (15 May 2009). "Ann and Alan Keen buy flat 10 miles from home: MPs' expenses". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 23 May 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ↑ White, Michael; Lucy Ward (23 June 1998). "MPs back gay sex at 16". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 27 December 2009. Retrieved 12 November 2009.
The MP [Ann Keen] was reunited with her son, Mark Lloyd Fox, last year after having him taken from her shortly after his birth. Ann continues to campaign for apologies for women who had their babies taken from them.
External links
- Ann Keen MP official site
- Guardian Unlimited Politics – Ask Aristotle: Ann Keen MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com – Ann Keen MP
- BBC Politics page Archived 15 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Ann Keen
Ann Keen | |
|---|---|
 Keen as a health minister | |
| Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health Services | |
| In office 28 June 2007 –6 May 2010 |