Expenses claim peer suspended

THE millionaire peer who founded one of Oldham’s academy sponsors has been suspended from Parliament.

Lord Bhatia has been suspended for eight months for wrongly claiming thousands of pounds in expenses.

He has already repaid more than £27,000.

He founded Edutrust Academies Charitable Trust (E-ACT), which sponsors Oldham Academy North. It opened in September and replaced Grange School.

He quit as trust chairman last year after its board was found to have misspent around £70,000.

The Lords Privileges and Conduct Committee found Crossbencher Lord Bhatia to have acted “not in good faith” by incorrectly declaring his main homes in order to claim generous overnight allowances.

Fellow Peer Lady Uddin was suspended until the end of the Parliamentary session in 2012 after the same finding, while Lord Paul was suspended for four months following the committee’s judgements.