EditorDewsbury Reporter17 Wellington RoadDewsburyWF13 1HQDear Sir,I am writing from the Sunlight Centre for Open Politics in response to Shahid Malik MP'scomments made in your newspaper on 19th June 2009 about the second inquiry into hisparliamentary expenses. [MP Shahid Malik welcomes second inquiry over expenses]Mr Malik's comments about the Sunlight Centre being a 'clandestine Conservative group' arewholly untrue.If Mr Malik had taken a look at our website he would have seen that we area non profit, non-partisan organisation.The aim of the Sunlight Centre is to shine a lightinto all the irregularities in the dark corners of power in Westminster.In the past we haveinvestigated both Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative MPs.In August 2008 weinvestigated the the then Conservative Party Chairman Caroline Spelman MP and theemployment of her Chief of Staff Simon Cawte. This resulted in us reporting them both tothe Parliamentary Standards Commissioner John Lyon, just as we did with Mr Malik. Therecent scandal over MP's expenses has brought our work to the forefront of British politics,focusing our efforts on numerous MPs scandalous expense claims.Indeed if Mr Malik hadbothered to research our organisation he would have seen that we are currentlyinvestigating the Conservative MP Brian Binley and intend to continue pursuinginvestigations across the political spectrum.We would like to re-iterate the fact that we are a privately funded organisation with noparty affiliation whose only wish is to promote openness and transparency in British politicsfor the benefit of the British public and would appreciate an aknowledgment as such.Perhaps such a casual disregard for accuracy is what gets Mr Malik into trouble in the firstplace.Yours Sincerely,

T : 020 7837 3312 F : 070 9201 2337 E : team@sunlight-cops.org.ukAlbion Buildings, 1 Back Hill, London, EC1R 5EN

A not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, advocating political transparency and openness.