MP Spink pays £5,000 salary to ex-lover 's student daughter (From Echo)

MP Spink pays £5,000 salary to ex-lover 's student daughter

8:11am Monday 4th February 2008 in News By Christine Sexton

AN MP has revealed he employs the daughter of a woman with whom he was romantically linked.

Ashleigh Sharp is included on Castle Point Tory MP Bob Spink's official list of his paid and unpaid staff.

The 19-year-old university student is the daughter of ex-councillor Gail Boland and her former long-term partner, Bill Sharp, who is still a Tory Castle Point councillor.

The divorced MP and Ms Boland were romantically linked after the break-up of her relationship with Mr Sharp, but it is understood they are no longer together.

Dr Spink originally said he was likely to end up paying Miss Sharp about £7,500 this financial year, to work as a constituency assistant and help with an advice surgery and bulk mailings. He later said it would be £5,000.

Dr Spink also still employs his ex-wife, Jan, although she lives in Dorset.

"I believe in transparency, which is why I always immediately publish all the costs of running my office and my expenses. But transparency must be balanced with people’s right to privacy, even those who work for me."

Castle Point MP Bob Spink

Asked about his daughter's employment with Dr Spink, Mr Sharp said: "If my daughter is employed by the member of Parliament, I am sure she works very hard.

"I am very proud my daughter is at Buckingham University, studying music technology. We provide a flat for her there."

Dr Spink has called for a "root and branch modernisation" of the way MPs organise, staff and pay for their offices. Moving a Parliamentary motion last week, he suggested MPs should only claim travel expenses, should be banned from taking other jobs and proposed an independent body to deal with salaries, staffing, communications and office costs.

Dr Spink said: "My office and I can only achieve the level of service and response we give to all constituents, and deal with the national and international duties of an MP, because we are a close, friendly, and professional team, running the various aspects of the overall job of MP.

"MPs' offices are quite different to a normal commercial office, and so are the staff."

Dr Spink, who has still refused to reveal what he pays his two secretaries, added: "I believe in transparency, which is why I always immediately publish all the costs of running my office and my expenses.

"But transparency must be balanced with people's right to privacy, even those who work for me."

DR SPINK'S FULL STAFF LIST
DR Spink has released a full list of his staff - all of whom are either relatives or people he has stated as knowing previously. It is understood none of the positions was advertised publicly.

JANET SPINK - His ex-wife. Deals with diary, ongoing campaigns and casework, bulk mailings and some databases. Last night, Mr Spink confirmed his ex-wife was being paid according to the office manager/senior secretary grade published by the Fees Office at Palace of Westminster.

Under this grade, salaries range from £19,825 to £37,245.

Jan Spink's salary was not revealed. However, Mr Spink had earlier said his former wife's salary was in "the middle of Fees Office banding for her job". .

GRACE READING - PA at Westminster. Formally qualified as a secretary. Deals with day-to-day Westminster correspondence. Salary, again, "in the middle of Fees Office banding for her job".

CHARLIE SPINK - His daughter. Secretarial/ research work. Formally qualified in science. Work includes compiling address databases, assisting with contributions in Parliament and local publicity and compiling and reporting on local media reports. Casual employee, as and when there is a need. Salary for 2007/8 will be £4,400.

ASHLEIGH SHARP - Constituency assistant.

Dr Spink states: "I know her and her family." University student. Helps with photography, advice surgeries, physical bulk mailings. Casual employee, as and when there is need. Her pay for 2007/8 will be about £5,000.

ELLIOTT WARD - Parliamentary questions adviser. Student at Cambridge University and Dr Spink's youth adviser. Casual employee, as and when there is need. His pay for 2007/08 will be about £3,000

KATE MARIAPA - Parliamentary questions adviser. No payment made as yet, but some anticipated in coming months. Payments will be in the middle of Fees Office banding for her work. Casual employee, as and when there is need. Her total annual pay may be around £7,000.

* Dr Spink's sons, Paul (barrister and writer), George (surgeon) and Robert (computer systems designer) advise him on their specialities, but have never been paid.