Berkshire Conservative benefit fraud councillor refuses to resign

A Conservative councillor in Berkshire who escaped being sentenced to community service for benefit fraud because it would interfere with his job as a postman and then left his job as a postman after getting the conditional discharge is refusing to stand down despite a full council motion for him to do so.

The aptly named Cllr Peter Lawless defrauded the taxpayer by claiming housing benefit that he wasn't entitled to because of his £19,590 councillor's allowances. He was convicted of the fraud at Slough Magistrates Court but avoided having to do community service because it would interfere with his Royal Mail job. He then promptly left his job at the Royal Mail.

Councillors approved a motion calling on Cllr Lawless to resign for failing to live up to the standards expected of a councillor and bringing the council into disrepute. Cllr Lawless refuses to stand down.