|
Receipts reveal how politicians went on a multi-million pound 'last hurrah' before a clampdown on the second homes fiddle known as 'flipping'. a way of exploiting the system to net personal wealth for some MPs.
But despite more stringent regulations, 53 politicians flipped their second homes allowance last year, a practice which has provoked widespread condemnation.
Documents released today reveal how:
GORDON BROWN claimed £7245.22 in additional allowances, including £2,713 for decoration, tiling and wiring in a downstairs toilet, £185 for gardening expenses and £98.20 for dry-cleaning and laundry. He also repaid £500 he had claimed to have a summer house repainted. Details of his phone bills included three long phone calls from his constituency home to an address in Canterbury, one lasting 1hr and 44minutes.
DAVID CAMERON claimed £20,240.15 in Additional Costs Allowance (ACA) including £1198.57 for oil for a stove at his home in Witney, Oxfordshire.
GEORGE OSBORNE got his mortgage claim wrong and had his Aga cleaned at the taxpayers' expense.
NICK CLEGG claimed £160 a month for 'garden maintenance' including weeding, strimming and pruning his apple tree. He put in a claim for £1,600 which was later slashed to £1,000.
JOHN BERCOW claimed £22,465.49 in ACA - and also flipped his home for a third time before becoming Commons Speaker.
DAVID MILIBAND, the foreign secretary, was threatened with legal action for failing to keep up with council tax payments.
International development secretary DOUGLAS ALEXANDER claimed £105 for a chimney sweep.
SHAUN WOODWARD claimed for an accountant who was a specialist in 'amassing wealth'.
ALAN and ANN KEEN - dubbed Mr and Mrs Expenses - were asked to repay £353.41 after overclaiming for service charges on their London flat.
Moat-clearing MP DOUGLAS HOGG claimed £20 for a toaster, £19 for low-energy lightbulbs, £4.99 for weedkiller, and £2.99 for refuse bags...
... while duck house MP SIR PETER VIGGERS claimed £8,000 for lawn feed and other gardening, as well as £669 for shutters for his country home.
JAMES ARBUTHNOT, Tory chair of the defence committee, put in a £43.56 receipt for a four-piece garlic peeling and cutting set.
PHIL HOPE wanted the money for a £2 hamburger maker.
ALAN MEALE claimed £1,000 for a shed with a veranda.
The latest round of expense claims, covering 2008-09 and the first quarter of 2009-10, were released by House of Commons authorities this morning. MPs' combined claims came to £10,706,562.46
Popular Alliance Comment:
We are glad MP’s are being named and shamed, because they are all being exposed for what they are: greedy, power obsessed, arrogant and with no regard for the British Public or the British Taxpayer.
|
