Reynolds Porter acts for IDS in 'Betsygate' fray

Tory party leader Iain Duncan Smith (IDS) has drafted in Reynolds Porter Chamberlain partner David Hooper (left), the lawyer who acted for John Major in relation to the Edwina Currie affair, to advise on 'Betsygate'. Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Sir Philip Mawer is investigating allegations made public by the BBC regarding the employment of IDS's wife Betsy as a secretary in his office. Hooper is a longstanding adviser to the Conservative Party, which he brought to Reynolds Porter when he joined from Pinsents in July. Vanessa Gearson, a senior Tory aide who initially raised concerns about the situation, is being advised in relation to the matter by Healys consultant Gill Sage.
First revealed on www.thelawyer. com 15 October