The only dissidents from this general consensus were a posh barrister, a solicitor and a miserable-looking, sun-tanned bod believed to be one of the Keen’s sons. Oh…and the judge, who unaccountably failed to put the issue to a democratic vote. If he had, the result would have been 50-odd to 4.

Instead he made an Interim Possession Order.

It was a day of impassioned speeches, anger and humour, in which singing in court broke out twice. The refrain went:

We all live where the Keens are never seen,
The Keens are never seen, the Keens are never seen.
We all live…..(Sorry, can’t remember how the rest of it goes)

The rumbustuous spectacle was enhanced outside with banners and a sound system (playing Wagner and Vaughan Williams as well as Bob Marley) and was witnessed by numerous paparazzi and journos (check the MSM on Saturday).

Latest news is that the Keen’s use of this empty house to claim nearly £140,000 in expenses (mainly mortgage interest payments) for their luxurious “second” home near Waterloo is now to be investigated by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

There will be another possession hearing about the Keen’s house in probably 7-10 days time. Meantime, an Interim Possession Order has been granted and we’ll see what happens.

For your delectation, here are some snippets from the squatters defence:

“EX TURPI CAUSA”

(v) Since the Court has a limited equitable as well as common law jurisdiction, the Defendants raise the above equitable principle, more accessibly described as “he who comes to equity must come with clean hands” in respect of the Claimants’ conduct respecting the premises claimed.

……………..

(vii) The facts are largely a matter of public record and now of wide repute. The Claimants are the Members of Parliament for the Feltham and Heston and Brentford and Isleworth constituencies respectively. They have an alleged “second home” near Waterloo which they acquired for £500,000 in 2002 and in respect of which ALAN KEEN has claimed £69,602 and ANN KEEN £68,947 in respect of second home allowances since 2005 alone, mainly for mortgage interest payments. The premises claimed herein are shown as their “main home”. The payment of second home allowance is contingent on the existence of a main home and the Defendants
understand that a second home is defined in House of Commons rules as the one in which the Member concerned spends fewer nights. The Claimants’ Waterloo home is now estimated to be worth about £650,000.

(viii) In fact, building works commenced on the premises claimed about a year ago and ceased about 8 months ago, since when the premises have been empty and entirely unused. Neighbours have both informed the Defendants and been quoted in the press as saying that the Claimants have not lived in the premises for several years prior to the commencement of building works and visited the house only very rarely. The Defendants believe these statements to be substantially or wholly true.

(ix) The premises claimed are not a home at all, let alone anyone’s “main home”, but an abandoned building site. Several of the floors are missing, there is no water supply and hence no working toilet. The water cannot be reconnected as much of the plumbing is missing. A rear window is missing and the aperture has been sheeted over with plastic, whilst other windows are obscured by overgrown creepers. Unused building materials such as bags of cement and plaster and quantities of timber and plasterboard were found stored in most rooms. There were also piles of rubble both inside the house and in the garden and the front lower floor was mainly occupied by
a large pile of sand. The Defendants’ occupation has been sustained in these conditions only by the practical assistance of the neighbours in supplying water and other necessities, as well as their very warm and supportive encouragement, which the Defendants have greatly appreciated.

(x) The dilapidation of the house had become so serious and its vacancy so prolonged that the local authority last month commenced the procedure to obtain an Empty Dwelling Management Order pursuant to Pt IV, Housing Act, 2004, though this remains at an early stage.