Tories paid Nick Wood, party’s former spin doctor, £66,000 for advice

Nick Wood of Media Intelligence Partners, former communications director of the Conservative Party

Claims lodged with the Commons fees office show that more than £66,000 was paid to Media Intelligence Partners, which was founded and run by Nick Wood, the party’s former director of communications, by four Tory MPs. It boasts on its website of how it “exists to help clients negotiate the media minefield — irrespective of their line of business”. It claims that “swift and incisive rebuttal of hostile headlines” are “also vital weapons in the battle for public opinion”.

Mr Wood is a former Times journalist and advised both Mr Duncan Smith and another former leader, William Hague.

Commons rules state that “advice for individual members on self-promotion or PR for individuals or political parties” is banned.

Mr Duncan Smith claimed more than £11,000 on his office expense account for services between June 2005 and December 2007.

Andrew Mitchell, the shadow international development secretary, billed the taxpayer for £18,800 for “research and secretarial services” between April 2006 and July 2008. Nadine Dorries, the Tory MP for Mid-Bedfordshire, claimed almost £20,000 in office expenses for “research” from the consultancy between November 2006 and May last year, while Philip Dunne, another backbencher, claimed for £17,000 for “research and secretarial services”.

Mr Duncan Smith said that the money had been used to research two reports produced by his think tank, the Centre for Social Justice, that set out his plans to “mend our broken society”. “It’s not about promoting me, it’s about the issue,” he said. “I am determined to change society and Nick has an integral role in that. I am immensely proud of the work we’ve done.”

Ms Dorries, who last week denounced a “witch-hunt” of MPs over expenses, said her claims were for her campaign to reduce the upper legal limit for abortions from 24 weeks to 20 weeks. “It is impossible as a backbencher to run a campaign of that size out of your office unless you have additional help,” she said.

Mr Wood defended the payments. Typically the MPs would pay for the research work – and then receive PR advice for free. “We have done extensive research for them in connection with their parliamentary duties,” he said. “It is perfectly legitimate that companies such as mine should be able to work for MPs. I believe it is within the rules as they are only paying for research and policy advice.”

In Ms Dorries’s case the company sought advice on abortion from an expert in America, while the work for Mr Dunne was on funding local government and education projects. Mr Mitchell was advised on international development issues.

Mr Dunne said the company supported him in relation to his parliamentary duties. He appointed the company “entirely on its own merits”, he said, adding that he did not know Mr Wood when he was employed by the Conservative Party.