MP reveals his expenses

Owen Griffiths

July 22 2008

TONBRIDGE and Malling's MP Sir John Stanley has shown his support for greater transparency in politicians' expenses by releasing his latest claim in full.

The MP - who had the seventh lowest claim in the last published figures - released his claim for April, May and June to the Sevenoaks Chronicle this week.

He is also calling for two key concessions granted to some MPs to be scrapped and said MEPs should face the same disclosures as their colleagues in Westminster.

“I have decided to go further than the Conservative Party's current front-bench Right to Know exercise, and I am making public my actual expense claims from April this year,” Sir John said.

The documents show the MP claimed a total of £5,461.55 in additional costs allowance and £1,686.59 in incidental expenses provision, while claiming back only 189 miles of car use in the three-month period.

Sir John's claims include £625 on Tonbridge and Malling Conservative Association secretarial services, £220 for cleaning, £130 for newspaper subscriptions and £125 on room hire for his constituency surgeries.

He claimed for just one taxi journey - a £7 fare from Tonbridge station to Hugh Christie Technology College.

Sir John also released a letter he sent to Michael Martin, the speaker of the House of Commons, calling for changes to expenses entitlement for MPs.

He said those politicians with publicly-funded accommodation in central London - the Prime Minister, for example - should be barred from claiming expenses relating to another home in addition.

“Under the present system,” Sir John wrote, “such Members are effectively having the outgoings on two homes they are occupying paid for by the tax-payer.

“I do not consider this defensible.”

The practice of MPs being able to claim mortgage interest on a second home, rather than only rent payments, while still being entitled to the capital gain on the house - less any tax due - also came in for criticism from the MP.

“In my view,” he told the Speaker, “it is not defensible and should be discontinued.”

The Members Estimates Committee, which Mr Martin chairs, has since decided not to accept the proposals.