By Julia Penhaligon
A private business run by Camborne Redruth MP Perran Moon is about to be struck off the government’s official register, Companies House, because it has not filed accounts for two years.
Mr Moon set up Autoswot Ltd in 2019, offering online training for people who want to work in the car sales industry.
The company is also in danger of being struck off for not updating its “confirmation statement” detailing who is in charge.
The missing accounts are more than a year overdue and the confirmation statement became due on 1st July this year. Mr Moon became the Camborne-Redruth MP three days later.
Also in July this year, following his election to the House of Commons, Mr Moon declared his financial interest in the company to the Parliamentary authorities.
According to its 2022 accounts the firm does not appear to be particularly busy. A 2020 press release said the aim of the company was teaching people how to become second-hand car salesmen or women.
It seems odd that Mr Moon still feels the need to be a director, now that he is a £91,346 a year Member of Parliament.
At the same time as Mr Moon was registering Autoswot in Parliament the government announced a crackdown on MPs who have second jobs.
It is not so much the fact that the allegedly delinquent business exists or even the prospect of it possibly being a second job but rather the principle surrounding the directors failure to follow very clear rules about the timely submission of accounts and returns which indicate either a complete disregard for the rules or an inability to be sufficiently well organised to operate within the rules.
When compared to other recent unsavoury revelations about the new Governments behaviour with regard to ”gifts” Mr Moons alleged transgression may be relatively minor, it none the less renders him less qualified to criticise others on the absolute assumption that to be credible ALL politicians must be absolutely squeaky clean and above board at all times.
Given the degree of pious self righteousness during the election campaign Labours incredible fall from grace in less than three months in power is truly jaw dropping and unprecedented, when all is said and done what is sauce for the goose must also be sauce for the gander as well.
The irony of the fact that the new Governments travails are entirely of its own making is not lost on me.
I thought the Conservatives were about as awful as it was possible to get and was delighted to see them skewered at the ballot box but the current situation proves the old adage that we should be very careful what we wish for.
Never mind, we voters now face the prospect of five years to repent at leisure and ponder whether or not any of us would ever buy a used car from Mr Moon.