GREECE: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband responds to reports tying him to expense scandals, also condemns North Korean nuclear tests

Record ID: 561428

  • Title: GREECE: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband responds to reports tying him to expense scandals, also condemns North Korean nuclear tests
  • Date: 27th May 2009
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (MAY 26, 2009) (REUTERS) BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY DAVID MILIBAND ARRIVING AT FOREIGN MINISTRY NEXT TO GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER DORA BAKOYANNIS VARIOUS OF MILIBAND AND BAKOYANNIS AND THEIR DELEGATIONS SEATED AT ROUND TABLE FOR MEETING MILIBAND AND BAKOYANNIS SPEAKING TO REPORTERS REPORTERS TAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID MILIBAND, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY SAYING: "There is no suggestion of wrong doing in respect of someone with 12 years of experience of the inland revenue in ensuring that all taxes are appropriately paid, and that's what I did, and I think its the right thing to do to ensure that the extra forms that the members of parliament have to fill in are appropriately done so. Its worth saying, that for 350 pounds you get your forms filled in, you don't get much tax advice." REPORTERS TAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID MILIBAND, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY SAYING: "I think that the most important thing for politicians of all parties is to ensure that British politics retains the integrity which I think marks the entry of people of the Labour party, the Liberal democratic party and the Conservative party when they come into politics. The most important thing we have to do is to reform the system, to regain public trust, but also to ensure that the wider political reform that I think is necessary takes place. And that is something that I know the prime minister and the government are determined to lead forward and I look forward to that debate." MILIBAND AND BAKOYANNIS TAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID MILIBAND, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY SAYING: "Both of our governments have condemned this in the strongest possible terms, and the UK will remain active at the United Nations in seeking a united international response first of all to contain the North Korean problem and to ensure that it no longer is a threat to peace and stability in the region." REPORTERS FOLLOWING NEWS CONFERENCE BAKOYANNIS AND MILIBAND SHAKING HANDS
  • Embargoed: 11th June 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: International Relations,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA7Z31XAO2D0CXG39BAMGU285LO
  • Story Text: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband responded to reports connecting him to the expenses scandals in Britain during a meeting in Athens on Tuesday (May 26) with his Greek counterpart.
    Miliband, according to British media reports, used public money to pay for tax advice he received from Labour MP Meg Munn's husband, Dennis Bates.
    "There is no suggestion of wrong doing in respect of someone with 12 years of experience of the inland revenue in ensuring that all taxes are appropriately paid, and that's what I did, and I think it's the right thing to do to ensure that the extra forms that the members of parliament have to fill in are appropriately done so. It's worth saying, that for 350 pounds you get your forms filled in, you don't get much tax advice," said Miliband during a news conference.
    Miliband also responded to questions on whether Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government should call for early elections in light of the expense scandals, saying system reforms were needed.
    "I think that the most important thing for politicians of all parties is to ensure that British politics retains the integrity which I think marks the entry of people of the Labour party, the Liberal Democratic Party and the Conservative party when they come into politics. The most important thing we have to do is to reform the system, to regain public trust, but also to ensure that the wider political reform that I think is necessary takes place. And that is something that I know the prime minister and the government are determined to lead forward and I look forward to that debate," he said.
    Miliband is on an official visit to Greece and Turkey to discuss the Cyprus issue, Turkey's EU accession, and the Middle East.
    Miliband condemned the latest nuclear tests by North Korea and said his government will work with the United Nations to contain the problem.
    "Both of our governments have condemned this in the strongest possible terms, and the UK will remain active at the United Nations in seeking a united international response first of all to contain the North Korean problem and to ensure that it no longer is a threat to peace and stability in the region," he said.
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