Jun 2009 18

MPs' Expenses – the Black Marker Pen edition15

Well, after 5 years of fighting, debating and legal battles, today Parliament has finally released the details of MPs' expenses. Or rather, they have released some heavily edited sections of the details of MPs' expenses. After MPs themselves have been allowed to go through all their own claims "redacting" information, there are some glaring gaps in what the public are being told. It turns out that "redacting" is a technical term for "obscuring potentially embarassing information with a big black marker pen".

The High Court last year of course ruled that all details of MPs' expenses claims other than bank account and credit card numbers should be released. However, Parliament then voted to overrule the High Cour and keep information such as second home addresses secret. At the time, MPs such as Julian Lewis argued that this was essential for security reasons.

The revelations by the Daily Telegraph of flipping and avoidance of Capital Gains Tax have demonstrated beyond any doubt that second home addresses are crucial to being able to properly scrutinise MPs' expenses claims. Of course, the fact that the Telegraph have published so much of this stuff already makes this heavy handed and secretive redaction process a farce that simply angers people more.

Given that so many MPs' details have been released online all at once, the help of TPA supporters in analysing and scrutinising what MPs have been claiming for is going to be really valuable. Please follow this link to the expenses website, and let us know any suspicious, absurd or otherwise dodgy claims that you spot. If everyone starts by looking at their own MP, no matter how obscure they might be, then we will swiftly get through the whole set, I'm sure.

Please send anything you spot, with links, to [email protected]

We will keep a rolling blog here to post notable examples:

  • George Osborne MP: Paul Waugh at the Evening Standard has spotted that the Shadow Chancellor claimed £47 for two DVDs of his own speech. Ironically, the topic he was discussing in the footage was "value for money".
  • Alan Campbell MP: The Honorable Member for Tynemouth has regularly claimed £200 in cash every month on his Incidental Expenses Provision giving only the explanation that it is "petty cash". It is remarkable that in effect he has been able to claim £2,400 a year without any attempt to say what it is for! Where did it go, Mr Campbell, and did you actually spend all of it every month? If not, what happened to the remainder?
  • Julian Lewis MP: This long-standing enemy of oppenness has some very odd bits and bobs in his claims records. Having claimed for "20 calligraphy pens", he seems to have then used them to black out as much of his expense forms as possible – meaning that in some cases he has made the information totally incomprehensible. As well as routinely deleting the destination of his taxi trips, he has actually gone through whole claim forms and deleted the labels of what he has claimed for wholesale, leaving us with only the prices. Bizarrely, he even claims his membership of the Royal United Services Institute on expenses! Among the other "redacted" details there are a number of references to "subscription to BLANK". What could be so embarassing that he needs to hide his subscribing to it? Given the experience of Mr Jacqui Smith, the mind boggles. 
  • Neil Turner MP: One of our supporters from Wigan has been through Mr Turner's expenses and has pointed some curious duplications. In some months, he claimed £400 for food, between £200 and £250 for petty cash and then claimed for specific foodstuffs and office provisions including coffee, Jacob's Cookies, a box of 48 four-finger KitKats and Millac Maid. Given that other MPs are trying to justify their petty cash claims by saying they were for coffee, biscuits etc, what on earth was he spending all the cash on?
  • James Purnell MP: £19.55 for a 3 kilogramme jar of mint imperials?
  • Gary Streeter MP: The MP for South West Devon apparently paid "Maradufu Christian Missionary Ministry" £1,000 a quarter for upkeep of his Parliamentary website. Weirdly, checking through Google Maradufu Christian Missionary Ministry does not even appear to have its own website – are they really web experts offering best value?
  • John Grogan MP: Bizarrely, the Selby MP billed taxpayers £110 for English lessons for an employee who proved unable to communicate with his Yorkshire constituents.

To be continued…

Related Posts

  • john

    As a very ordinary member of the public,not a forensic accountant.How do I begin to work out my Mps expenses.
    john

  • Pete J / Nottingham

    Expenses details with more blanks than any useful information ?
    “Wholly, necessarily & exclusively in performance of their duties” ?
    I suppose for the current Tax Year this will include ‘Whitewash’ as a justifiable expense !!
    Yet another cover-up worthy of the “Yes, Minister” scriptwriters. Time for change.

  • Gemma

    OK to lets live up to all our griping – when’s the protest rally and how can I take part??

  • Mrs D Davey

    My MP, David Amess (Con Southend West) claimed an unwavering £600 a month regardless of interest rate falls on his second home while living, at most, an hour and half away from London, with well supported transport options to & from London. He charged taxpayers the maximum of £400 per month for food. Did he actually eat £400 worth of food solely while at his second home? Why should the taxpayer pick up his food bills (if indeed it was used for this). A person can only eat in one place at a time.

  • B Lockwood

    Gemma, we should have started a protest march long ago, where is everybody?
    I am hoping our TaxPayers Alliance upload my latest fight over unfair Council Tax because I do not intend to give in and I may need more support.
    Our TaxPayers have all my literature so I am hoping they will find the time to make a report on my behalf.
    The whole of Westminster including the Lords
    have derided all by being allowed by the Police and High Court to corrupt the Laws
    WE are forced to adhere to.
    In my position this I will not accept and our Tax and Benefit system must be overhauled by the next Government.
    Barbara Lockwood F.A.C.T.Folk against Council Tax)

  • chris pether

    Can anyone please explain the logic that precludes prosecution, under the theft act, because, quote, There is very little chance of securing a conviction Unquote ???… The MPs sign that their expences are wholly in persuance of their duties. How does false oak beams fall into this category ?? There is clear and obvious deception of the payment authority, ie the fees office. Have the prosecution services been nobbled ?? It appears so. Corruption appears to be endemic everywhere.
    Chris P

  • Gemma

    Re Barbara ‘where is everybody?’ – in their houses shouting at the TV, PC or newspaper….
    I’m serious, if I knew where to start I would march!! Our voices need to be heard!!
    Volume speaks – individual letters do nothing except get ignored. Lets speak together as a nation! This is wrong on so many levels – MP’s squandering our money on anything and everything whilst saving away their salaries (how they even scrape their salaries is beyond me as everything seems to be paid for!!) my mum looks after pensioners in homes that you wouldn’t leave your dog in, they deserve more, we deserve more!! PROTEST!

  • STEVE JONES

    I TOTALLY AGREE WITH Pete J / Nottingham.
    WHEN ARE WE MARCHING ON PARLIAMENT AND DEMANDING THAT THESE SHAMELESS PEOPLE MUST GO NOW. NOT TOMORROW BUT NOW AND WITHOUT THEIR GOLDEN PERKS OR PENSIONS

  • http://theantipolitician.wordpress.com Greg

    Surely this one could go on and on! It seems almost – but not every – MP in the house was on the fiddle. It’s absolutely sickening and I hope they get what they deserve.
    http://theantipolitician.wordpress.com

  • David Allsop

    Remember the early 80s when the unions led a series of one hour national strikes tenuosly linked to the nurses pay dispute.What about a repeat, a one hour national strike every week until the government call an election.

  • Andrew

    Too much talk and no action. Its no use bleating about it, we must organise to protest and change things.
    We need leadership from the TPA and other groups to overthrow this parliament and replace it with moral, ethical government. I do not mean a general election – all that will do is replace one bunch of cheats with another. We need a revolution.
    ACT NOW.

  • chas
  • B Lockwood

    Hi Barbara Here
    Being partially sighted I have difficulty staying on line to long, However, I think many of you need an enlightment of my past 12 years of campaigning here in Norfolk and attending court three times ( with those dedicated supporters who know me well,) I have tolerated Harassment from Bailiffs, Threatened with imprisonment because of my behaviour towards an Unfair Council Tax Banding and increases that should have been frozen.
    All our country had to do long ago was take a tip from the French and organise a mass walk on Parliament. It was obvious to me this corruption would finally include CT
    and I am hoping for a High Court Prosecution because I have been treated disgracefully by all including our Local Council.( and there is another story.)
    However, I’ve been proven to be correct so vindicated.
    I will continue to pay a flat rate of CT that suits my pension.
    If this continues much longer I hope we shall all meet at Westminster.
    I bet i’ve been there more times than any of you.
    Barbara F.A.C.T. (folk against Council Tax Norwich & Norfolk)also affiliated to the TaxPayers Alliance.

  • B Lockwood

    Barbara Here.
    Come on where are you? where are your replies,?
    Are you all still sitting in front of your televisions shouting at it,or just writing when you think fit.?
    You know as well as I do this has been going on many, many years –not just four.
    Regards

  • http://www.penrhadwfarm.co.uk Michael Hurley

    I have been questioning my local MP,Dai Havard for some time regarding his and his boss`s expenses.His latest reply regarding my request that he ask the Chancellor and Gordon Brown why they are able to get away with things that I as a self employed tax payer cannot,beggars belief.I precis his quote:You make some specific accusations in your letter about the actions and behaviour of both the Chancellor and the Prime Minister.Given the tone of your remarks etc suggesting personal actions tantamount to “fraud” and “theft”;I don`t think it appropriate for me to relay on in the way that you suggest etc etc.He blathers on about how I should write directly to the PM and Darling.
    I would be interested to know what your corespondents think about accusations of fraud and theft,as that is what it amounts to!Can I feel safe in challenging the Chancellor on these grounds?