WelHat Borough Council leader John Dean, and Hatfield Town Council leader, Mick Clark have both praised local MP Grant Shapps in the wake of  revelations about his business affairs. The beleagured MP, who was recently promoted to  Conservative party chairman, has been put under the spotlight since the story broke about his use of an alias in the How To Corp company he set up with his wife in 2004. Criticisms in the national press, from both left and right wing newspapers, have followed, along with a ban from Google amid accusations of plagiarism.

The Sunday Express quoted Cllr John Dean as saying he had no regrets in choosing Mr Shapps as the Wel Hat parliamentary candidate and that "he didn't think many people would argue that he (Shapps) is not a very good and caring constituency MP"

Cllr Mick Clark said that the MP was a "remarkably open and honest" man who would never do anything improper.

However, Mr Shapps has said he will be helping the Advertising Standards Authority with their investigation into the How to Corp company from which he resigned in 2008.  

Mr Shapps has been variously accused of:
1. Using the name Michael Green as an alias in his ‘get rich quick’ business which, allegedly, ‘plagiarised’ other web-writers material.
2. Claiming to have made £17 million through his website business to attract custom.

3. Using the name Sebastian Fox, as an alias
 

4. Inventing names of people providing positive testimonials to his business

5. Trying to sell an out of copyright, century old book The Meaning Of Dreams   as ‘rare’ editions when the book was still widely available.
6. Posing as a Lib Dem to infiltrate one of their online forums to discredit the party.
7. Altering his Wikipedia entry to delete details of his funding.
8. Falsely claiming to be born in London when contesting a London election. 

9. Attempting to abolish Hatfield's ancient Town Council under the pretence of saving residents a few pennies, the result of which would be an effective asset strip to benefit the Borough Council.