Expenses cheat Lord Taylor of Warwick banned from practising as a lawyer We regretfully are clearly of the opinion that the commission of this offence is incompatible with his continued membership of the bar, despite all the mitigation we have heard and taken account of. Before entering politics, Taylor had practised as a lawyer in Oxford and the midlands for 17 years. Mohammed Khamisa QC, defending, told the panel Taylor had "suffered quite enough" after his conviction on the criminal charges. He told me, 'what more has God, has society, got in store for me?'. He has lost the only thing that he had: his good name - he really hasn't got very much money, and is living through the benevolence of friends and family. What you are dealing with is a single error of judgement in an otherwise distinguished life. He has been a role model and continues to be. Taylor was convicted of six counts of false accounting following a trial at Southwark Crown Court last May. He had falsely registered a house in Oxford as his main residence, enabling him to claim expenses for travel to-and-from London, and for overnight stays in the capital. In reality the property belonged to his nephew's partner, and Taylor, who actually lived in Ealing, west London, had never even stayed there. While in prison, Taylor is said to have written to government to complain about low levels of literacy among inmates, and the number serving sentences for "petty crimes." Mr Khamisa added the disgraced politician had never lived a lavish lifestyle and instead lived "in a house in Ealing where he has lived for the past three decades." "He went to Parliament by public transport and came back by public transport," he said. He is truly a people's peer. Taylor, who claims he continues to be the target of racial abuse, had wanted to remain a barrister despite having 'no desire' to work as a lawyer in the future. "It helps when he travels on speaking engagements, that he can say he is a member of the bar," said Mr Khamisa. The ability to be able to say that he is a member of the solemn profession is bound to increase his prospects in getting a job. With a conviction it has been difficult, if not impossible, to get paid employment. Taylor admitted engaging in conduct discreditable to a barrister. Speaking outside court, Taylor's solicitor, Eddie Tang, said the peer accepted the panel's decision. "He will deal with it quietly and with dignity, as he did when he served his sentence," he said. He hopes to continue to serve the public in the way he has done for the past 25 years.