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Former Royal Marine with an independent streak
13 Oct 2009As a former Whitehall mandarin, Sir Thomas Legg was not expected to send Parliament into further turmoil.
But the former Royal Marine has left MPs shell-shocked with his damning findings on their use of the Commons second home allowance.
Cambridge-educated Sir Thomas, 74, is a former permanent secretary at the Lord Chancellor's Department and was chairman of the London Library.
With Sir Robin Ibbs, he conducted the 1998 inquiry into the arms to Sierra Leone affair which was branded a whitewash after it cleared the Government of wrongdoing.
Appointed to probe parliamentary expenses, he has infuriated many MPs with his streak of independence — and they have been further angered by his appointment of former BBC journalist Caroline Wright as his press officer, raising suspicions that he will not allow this report to be brushed aside.
Reader views (1)
Well done Sir Thomas! - "...he has infuriated many MPs with his streak of independence..." and "...raising suspicions that he will not allow this report to be brushed aside."
I'm sure that's not what he was supposed to do. I note the military connection. Did not the Fees Office mole also have a military connection? Poetic justice!
- John C, Leatherhead, UK, 13/10/2009 11:31
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