May 2009 08

MPs' Expenses: The truth will out35

If there is one overarching lesson for MPs in today's expenses revelations (other than "Stop claiming money that you don't deserve") it is that there is no point blindly trying to keep these claims secret. It would have been better for all involved to have released the full expenses details when they were first requested four years ago, or even last year when the High Court ordered them to. Instead, their attempt to hide the details from taxpayers has made the issue much more toxic.

What is reamarkable is the reluctance of our politicians, when caught red handed, to say "Sorry". Even those who have broken the rules and had to pay the money back are self-righteously acting as though they are somehow victims of circumstance rather than would-be freeloaders.

The claims revealed so far by the Telegraph fall into three broad categories, which can be defined thusly:

Wrongful claims - AKA the "I paid it back"

It is frankly disturbing not just that MPs are making dodgy claims for money they don't deserve, but that on many occasions the Parliamentary officials in the Fees Office are approving them and making the payment, only for the MP to later have to repay the money. One example of this is Jack Straw's council tax – he got a 50% discount from the council on his second home because it was a second home, but claimed 100% of the tax on expenses. It is ridiculous that this claim was ever paid out – as anyone who has claimed a council tax discount can tell you, the amount you pay is printed clearly on the bill. This suggests that Jack Straw submitted a bill that read

Council tax: £100                                                                                                    
Second Home Discount: -£50                                                                                                    
Total tax payable: £50                                                                                                    

submitted it as a receipt for a £100 payment and the Fees Office simply paid up without question. Jacqui Smith's porn film claim was the same, in that it obviously was not scrutinised properly before being rubber stamped. It is not good enough to say "Oh, well, I paid it back as soon as I noticed the error" – why are MPs making such claims that are at best careless and at worst fraudulent, and why are the Fees Office okaying them?

This issue really gets to the heart of the two crucial problems with the current system:

  • The lack of transparency makes greedy MPs more likely to try to get away with excessive claims and lazy MPs more likely to submit erroneous claims without checking, double-checking and triple-checking them. If they were going to be published, Jack Straw would never have dared make this dodgy claim.
  • The Fees Office are as much to blame for the current state of affairs as the politicians are. The fact that they agreed to pay out on Straw's obviously wrongful council tax claim shows they are either incompetent or view their job as serving MPs rather than protecting taxpayers' money.

Ridiculous claims – AKA the "But it was within the rules"

All too often the only defence provided by Parliamentarians caught claiming absurd and ridiculous things at taxpayers' expense is that "it was within the rules". The public have rightly seen through this and would much prefer their MPs to claim what is needed rather than just anything they can get away with.

Bath plugs, gazebos, barbecues, antique fireplaces, ginger biscuits, Farley's Rusks (presumably not for the Member's consumption), nappies, pizza wheels, make-up, servicing swimming pools, underfloor heating - the list so far revealed is already outrageous.

Honourable MPs would not put in claims like this, and even if they did, a decent expenses system would not allow them to be paid out.

Playing the system – AKA the "Erm, no comment"

The Telegraph has a good piece detailing the ways in which MPs can play the system, particularly by playing around with the definition of their second home. Some have bought large household items at taxpayers' expense and had them delivered to their main home, assuring officials that they would ship them on to their second home at a later date – but there are no checks to make sure that is the case. Flipping addresses is also apparently common, by which an MP refurbishes one home with taxpayers' money, then designates that as their main home instead and designates their other house as a second home, allowing that to be refurbished at our expense, too. Crucially, these are the kind of scams that can only be revealed if the addresses of MPs' second homes are made public – something they have opposed on the grounds of "security and privacy".

One of the best things about the fact that the Telegraph have got the expenses details is that their version includes expenses – if we had all had to wait until July for the Parliamentary publication, MPs who had indulged in address flipping would have got away with it scot free.

Rejected claims AKA the "let's hope no-one finds out I asked"

One thing that is clear from today's news is that both the Fees Office and MPs themselves are to blame for the current fiasco. It is very revealing that despite the laxity of the Fees Office officials the detailed expenses claims apparently include a number of claims that even they rejected as excessive or unjustified.

David Miliband, for example, tried to claim for a pram and other baby paraphernalia, which is specifically foridden. One Labour MP is reported as having tried to claim £1741.50 for a granite work surface, that was rightly identified as over the top and unnecessary.

Given the crazy and unnecessary things that were approved by the Fees Office, it is a damning verdict on some MPs that they still managed to make claims that were so outrageous even the Parliamentary expenses system couldn't cover them.

Related Posts

  • Hardeep Singh

    They deserve to be punished, all we need is a wall, blindfolds and firing squad!
    … Oh okay I’m just kidding but they still need to be punished for knowingly deceiving the public, what do they think we are utter fools?

  • john

    Can you imagine working for a company that has a little more than 600 employees and has the following employee statistics .
    29 have been accused of spouse abuse
    7 have been arrested for fraud
    9 have been accused of writing bad cheque’s
    17 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses
    3 have done time for assault
    71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
    14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
    8 have been arrested for shoplifting
    21 are currently defendants in lawsuits
    84 have been arrested for drink driving in the last year
    Which organisation is this ?
    It’s the 635 members of the House of Commons, the same group that cranks out hundreds of new laws each year designed to keep the rest of us inline.
    What a bunch of b*stards we have running our country – it says it all.. And just to top all that they probably have the best ‘corporate’ pension scheme in the country!!
    If you agree that this is an appalling state of affairs, please pass it on to everyone you know. It’s time to stand up to this lot !

  • Raghbir Dhillon

    I feel that the MP ‘s abuse of their allowances is a disgrace ; how about organising a nation wide peaceful demo to show the strength of feeling against the abuse ;

  • RCW

    Has anyone noticed how the BBC TV news at 10 o’clock and News Night both carry the MPs defrauding us story in a stranelgy reluctant way, and how the BBC interviewers seem to play down the severity of issue. Last night on Newsnight the Daily Telegraph journalist was given a hard time, and was questioned about how can he query a multi-millionairess for charging 25 grand for security after she got mugged. The words were something like ‘are you anti-rich people?’. The Labour Knight wo was there to support the establishment was let off the hook too many times to mention. Even the Newsnight Rottweiller seemed strangely quiet the night before.
    My 83 year old mum who got mugged in Tesco’s Hackney last week has not been accorded a personal bodyguard. Should I hire one for her and find a friendly MP to pcik up the tab?
    I suggest that perhaps the BBC has its own version of expenses sleaze and is reluctant to push the point too far.

  • Mr C Thurgood

    What corruption! MEPs are no better. I for one will never vote for anyone in future.
    I have a second home but am not entitled to ant discount at all. I wonder why that is?

  • clive

    please can someone servea summons on these creeps for all the money they have stolen from us

  • Graeme Pirie

    What we need – in conjunction with the Telegraph is a “Court of Public Opinion”.
    After it’s all out – go through every MP stripping out those acting in the spirit of the green book rules. i.e it’s quite reasonable and necessary for a Birmingham MP to claim interest and utilities on a london flat.
    Those that are left (the guilty) OF ALL PARTIES, should be campaigned against on the basis of them being benefit cheats. We do this by publishing the blacklist one month before the next general election….
    I volunteer to be on the Jury!

  • Ken Clarke (Not the big beast)

    If the expense claimed has to be ‘a necessary expense incurred for the performance of the M.P.’s parliamentary duties’ how can such claims as for horse manure, cat food etc. possibly be justified ? Likewise the claim by the tourist minister for security and protection has nothing to do with her job. Lots of people feel justifiably nervous in London, but they have to get on with it. No-one would object to security being provided to a minister whose job exposed him/her to possible threats or harm, but the toursist minister….!!!!

  • Rob Luscombe

    Surely the “Second Home” designation is really easy. Where they will live when they lose their seat (some hopefully sooner than others) is their main home. A London pad is necessary for those with a main home more than an hour on the train from London and should be paid for, even MPs should not be out of pocket for doing their job.

  • http://profile.typepad.com/6p01156f860d4f970c takingthemichael

    I think John is right- we- under the TPA should be organising a peaceful protest to demonstrate the anger/ mood in the country.
    Additionally we could send our receipts for everyday househols items to the receipts office at Westminster- apparantly they don’t get scrutinised- so we might get our expenses paid???
    Think this debacle is so so damaging to politics- people are switching off and tend to think all politicians are corrupt and on the make….responsible people yes there are out there) need to campaign to bring wrong-doers to justice, and bring Westminster to accountablity to their employers- the public.

  • http://profile.typepad.com/6p0115707bf9a6970b jensand

    £400 per month food allowance – why do they get this, they are already subidised in the house restaurants and bars. They are even claiming this amount when Parliament is in recess!
    £400 per month is £4800 per year – The full state pension amounts to £4953 per year. I am sure these pensioners would like to have access to a food allowance of £400 per month to assist their tiny pension.
    Yet another example of one law for the masses and another for the incompetent, dishonest rulers. These people should be prosecuted and face justice in a court of law. Their fate should then be decide by a jury.

  • Leire

    I agree with all of those proposing a peaceful protest, as one of the things I find more shocking is the lack of public upraise (we should be demanding MPs to pay back any claims made against the spirit of the laws and regulations).
    Should we organise a protest in front of the parliment next weekend (16th or 17th of May?). Does anyone know how to ask for the relevant permits?

  • http://profile.typepad.com/6p01156f860d4f970c takingthemichael

    Re: Jensand
    Agree about peaceful protest-maybe making it next week would be too soon- think it takes time to get the right permit, plus maybe not got the chance to get enough numbers??
    Tomorrow in the Telegraph there will be even more depressing rip-offs revealed- all within the rules, but as the MP’s seemingly want us to believe- its not their fault that they were able to claim- it is all the fault of the system (that they devised).
    Its good to know that they aren’t really bad people- just easily led-
    do we seriously want such morally bankrupt people (alledgedly)running (alledgedly) our brillaint country. They obviously don’t think its a privledge to be in Westminster representing the people, seemingly money has more attraction and status.
    I feel sorry for them having the spotlight shone on them- they are scurrying about in denial-land, well you can fool some of the people some of the time, but not all of the time. Payback time has come (?), well maybe not -I think that they will get away with all of this and provide us with some kind of diversion, maybe a scandal of some kind!
    I do believe we derserve better ministers of integrity, after all many MP’s have second jobs due to the fact that the Commons only sit for (approx) 174 days per year.
    Many ordinary people work hard for their incomes and pay their taxes- and expect it to be used wisely by those in Government- certainly not to line ‘Honourable’ members pockets.
    But like one or two kindly MP’s have pointed out- we should count our blessing as our MP’s aren’t as bad as some others in other countries. Bit like telling a victim of a mugging that at least you were left with your clothes on.

  • John Grant

    The information which has now been dragged out of the expenses records shows activities which could be (and have been) regarded as dismissable offences in private companies. There are clearly some ‘minor’ infringements being reported but the expectation of honourable behaviour has been totally demolished. These are cheats and should be dealt with as cheats in any other walk of life, arguably more severely because of the legitimate expectations of trustworthy behaviour in our elected representatives. The Speaker in particular must go – he has no credibility left and carries a particular responsibility for ensuring high standards of behaviour in public life. There are no acceptable excuses – and the explanation that MPs’ salaries have not risen enough so it is acceptable to make up the perceived deficit by milking the expenses opportunities will ring very hollow in the ranks of the underpaid and the recently redundant.

  • http://www.realityinfo.org Reality

    I had to update http://www.realityinfo.org/news . This system is rotten to the core. Time we changed it, if you ask me. Or do we just let them all carry on? After all, this has been systemic in nature for decades. Waken up folks!

  • antonia willis

    Re MPs’ expenses horrors: please, please, organise a demo a.s.a.p. in Parliament Square. Lots of people are talking about it but no-one is doing it. You have the PR/web coverage to be able to pull it off. You know there would be 1,000s of us out there if only we had an organiser’s starting gun.

  • Tracy Mikich

    This flagrant milking of the expense system is unforgivable. If an MP’s salary is not livable then adjust it. It does appear that a large amount claimed is not for necessary purposes but for garden improvements, wisteria removal, farrow & Ball paint etc. We can change the system – vote the opportunistic wastrels out!

  • Josephine White

    What is certain is that Parties across the board will want to brush this under the carpet and will probably succeed unless we act quickly. Not only because of the actual thievery involved, but because in the eyes of the world our MP’s have reduced Britain to the status of a corrupt third world fiefdom.
    I’m with Lord Naseby on this. Parliament MUST be dissolved immediately and a general election called as soon as possible. That way, those guilty of this intolerable behaviour will at least be held to account where it matters – at the ballot box.
    But ‘marches’ take much publicising and organising .. and a poor showing will only encourage the politicians in their actions to simply cover it up. Therefore, I would suggest – as the only national, cross party organisation which commands the respect, the influence and the clout to make it work – that the TPA immediately begins a high profile media campaign (backed up by local and regional demo’s) calling for the immediate dissolution of Parliament followed by a general election.

  • rosemary rogers

    How enlightening the last couple of days have been !!!The disclosures have been astonishing and I think MP’s have the bare faced cheek to deny wrongdoing. Maybe their claims followed the spirit of the rules but for goodness sakes – how many of us regular folk would have carried on the way these thieves have!I have been convinced that they will tough it out until the general election and continue to milk as much as they can from the taxpayer, because surely the election will see the back of many of these scoundrels. These “honourable members” have taken the people of this country to the cleaners. Shame on them and all they stand for!!!

  • Mary Murray

    I think we should be pushing for dissolution of Parliament and also for MPs to pay back the money they have claimed fraudulently. That would help the country’s deficit!

  • Brian P

    I work in the public sector, NO I’m not an MP I’m just an ordinary worker. If I put in a wrong claim for expenses or miss represented any thing there would be no sorry or I’ll pay that back, NO, it would be straight up the road and probably go to jail. I asked my employer the other day if I turn up for work do I get £200.00 she promptly told me where to go.
    They say that power corrupts, and that ultimate power corrupts ultimately well all you have to do is look at our Government. I say no more.

  • Janet Jaderko

    I find it astonishing that MP’s are so ‘hellbent’ on tackling benefit fraud, standing there making self-righteous speeches about members of the public falsely claiming taxpayer’s monies when they are basically doing exactly the same only to a far greater extent. Why are MP’s not being charged with fraud and taken to court like members of the public who receive benefits they were not entitled to? Oh, I forgot, it’s because the MP’s make the rules – rules aimed at lining their own pockets whiltst leaving some members of the public existing on the breadline. The ones who have made outrageous and basically fraudulent claims should be prosecuted.

  • Leire

    Ok, I am going to try to organise a protest on the 30th of May in London. I will approach the police tomorrow to check on the requirements and will report back here. Anyone interested you can leave your messages here. I will create an email address for direct contact and post it shortly
    regards

  • http://profile.typepad.com/6p01157086fbdf970b shellyjfk

    Everybody I have spoken to is very angry about this including myself. I think it is a good idea to arrange a protest in London. But difficult for alot of people to make it to London. I suggest that all national newspapers are contacted and that on the 30th May 2009 Everybody makes a protest at 12pm outside their local City Hall. I think you would get a good turnout. Also everybody write to the queen to ask her to dissolve parliament.
    Also especially with regards to Elliott Morley everybody write to the Chief Constable were he lives and demands that he be arrested.
    I understand that Matthew Elliott is the spokesperson for the Taxpayers Alliance what do you think?

  • http://profile.typepad.com/6p01157086fbdf970b shellyjfk

    If you want to report Elliott Morley for Fraud and Theft.
    Write or Fax
    The Chief Constable
    Tim Hollis
    Humberside Police Headquarters
    Priory Police Station
    Priory Road
    Hull
    HU5 5SF

  • http://www.taxpayersalliance.com Mark Wallace

    Hi,
    Thank you all for your comments.
    There a couple of specific points raised:
    1) Police involvement. We at the TPA have registered a formal complaint with the Metropolitan Police this morning under the Fraud Act 2006, specifically on Elliot Morley MP’s claims. The Met are meeting parliamentary officials to discuss it today and we should know more by the end of the afternoon.
    2) A protest. Due to a number of factors (lengthy process involved in getting permission from the police to protest outside Parliament; Tamil protest currently occupying Parliament square; the need to get 500,000 people plus to make a serious impact; the difficulty for a lot of people to actually make it to London) we have no plan at present to hold a protest on MPs’ expenses. Instead….
    3) Our petition! To make it as easy as possible to get people from all over the country, we have launched a petition demanding full publication of all MPs’ expenses details immediately here: http://www.petition.co.uk/publish_mp_expenses_in_full
    Please sign the petition and pass it on to friends and family.
    If you’d like to get our weekly campaign email bulletin on latest news, upcoming protests and campaigns etc please click here: http://www.mainhighway.com/tpa/join/join.php

  • Mrs. Eileen Fellowes

    As the employers of M.P,s why is it that we cannot disolve this corrupt parliament and take the necessary steps to charge the lot of these crooks with conspiracy to defraud the taxpayer.

  • http://profile.typepad.com/6p01157086fbdf970b shellyjfk

    Yes, it would be difficult to do a big protest in London.
    As I said earlier couldn’t we all protest outside our local council offices on the 30 May at 12pm. Advertise it through the national papers. I know alot of people who would go as it would be easy for them to travel there.
    As I said earlier what about if we all wrote to the Queen to dissolve parliament.

  • Richard Prior

    The “second home allowance” and all the small amounts that are under scrutiny at this time are a bit of a smokescreen.
    What about the fact that they can claim massive amounts for staff, Travel, Office, stationary etc etc.
    My local MP (Southend East) lives near the direct train line to London and it is a 48 minute journey. He claimed over £160,000 for 2007/08. Would he be able to put his hand on a bible and swear that he actually incurred these costs on top of his salary?
    My 22 year old daughter has a mortgage, has to commute to London and, cannot claim if a water pipe under her drive has a “statutory notice” placed on it.
    Snouts are so far in the trough that they cannot hear the shouts of anger. Sorry seems to be a word they cannot use and, despite the handwringing of late, they would have still carried on milking the system if the two porn films had not been noticed!!!!!

  • Lesley Johnstone

    I am incensed by the whole thing. My children have moved abroad because they can’t afford to buy in the UK. My mother has had to sell her home to pay for her nursing home fees. I will protest with a non vote – and destroy my ballot papers – in elections this year! March in London – speak to the world — Let’s get the country behind the thinking people and let the world know what we think about these “”"elected voices”"”

  • Lesley Johnstone

    I am absolutely incensed. My children have moved abroad because they cannot afford to buy a home in the UK and my Mother has had to sell her home to be looked after in a Nursing Home. Get me to any demonstration please!! I will be destroying my voting paper!!!xxxx

  • http://profile.typepad.com/6p01156f927366970c Toby

    Sorry does not cut it in my book at all nor does I will pay it back. We would never have that sort of right. I think they should pay it back and stand down and never be allowed in parliament again.

  • Peter Scriven

    The additional expense of a General Election would be considerable in the current economic climate but I fee that this is the only way to eliminate these guilty MP’s from their cushy existence.They should also loose any Pension contributions paid into their pension pot by the State as their PENALTY for FRAUD & DECEPTION. This would save the cost of Police Investigations and court proceedings although their guilty record would not be written up in the courts which would be a pity. Lets wipe the slate clean and start a fresh with tight control and no greater salaries. Most MP’s come from priveledged backgrounds, used to having the best of everything, lets give highly intelligent persons, (some of lower status) a chance to run the country and see us free of those who would fleece the poor to support the high life of the already wealthy. PETER

  • Elaine Warde

    I would be very interested in attending the protest in London on the 30th May. Please inform me of details

  • http://blackswanwatch.blogspot.com Alistair

    WE, THE PEOPLE, DEMAND THE DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT.
    DEMONSTRATION. HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.
    WEDNESDAY 20th MAY. 12 Noon till 2PM
    More info at http://www.ageofautism.com/2009/05/peaceful-rally-to-demand-dissolution-of-parliament-led-by-autism-mom.html