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| Key details: MP expenses claims | Key details: MP expenses claims |
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| The Daily Telegraph has obtained details of MPs' expenses claims over the past four years which it has published. | The Daily Telegraph has obtained details of MPs' expenses claims over the past four years which it has published. |
| Here is a summary of the claims made by some Labour politicians and their reaction to the reports. | Here is a summary of the claims made by some Labour politicians and their reaction to the reports. |
| Douglas Alexander Hilary Armstrong Ian Austin Vera Baird QC Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper Margaret Beckett Tony Blair Hazel Blears Ben Bradshaw Kevin Brennan Gordon Brown Nick Brown Chris Bryant Andy Burnham Dawn Butler Stephen Byers Ben Chapman David Chaytor David Clelland Tam Dalyell Alistair Darling Ian Davidson Natascha Engel Caroline Flint Barbara Follett Barry Gardiner href="#gibson_ian">Ian Gibson class="bodl" href="#hoon_geoff">Geoff Hoon Phil Hope Diana Johnson Gerald Kaufman Alan and Ann Keen Ruth Kelly Fraser Kemp Mark Lazarowicz Shahid Malik Lord Mandelson Sarah McCarthy-Fry Steve McCabe Ian McCartney David Miliband Madeleine Moon Margaret Moran Elliot Morley George Mudie Paul Murphy John Prescott James Purnell John Reid Jack Straw Kitty Ussher Keith Vaz Claire Ward Shaun Woodward Phil Woolas Ian Wright and Tom Watson | |
| FRASER KEMP | FRASER KEMP |
| Claim: The Sunday Telegraph said Mr Kemp, the MP for Houghton and Washington East, claimed for two DVD players for his one-bedroom flat in the space of a month. He was also reimbursed for the cost of 16 bed sheets and claimed for two flat-screen televisions a year apart, it was reported. In the case of one of them, the Fees Office refused to pay the full £1,699 he asked for on the basis that the maximum claim was £750, it was suggested. The former Labour whip was also said to have bought goods including a freezer and fridge near his north-east England constituency, despite the London flat being designated his second home. He also charged the taxpayer £105.75 for an engineer to attend to his washing machine when he could not work out how to operate it, the Sunday Telegraph claimed. | Claim: The Sunday Telegraph said Mr Kemp, the MP for Houghton and Washington East, claimed for two DVD players for his one-bedroom flat in the space of a month. He was also reimbursed for the cost of 16 bed sheets and claimed for two flat-screen televisions a year apart, it was reported. In the case of one of them, the Fees Office refused to pay the full £1,699 he asked for on the basis that the maximum claim was £750, it was suggested. The former Labour whip was also said to have bought goods including a freezer and fridge near his north-east England constituency, despite the London flat being designated his second home. He also charged the taxpayer £105.75 for an engineer to attend to his washing machine when he could not work out how to operate it, the Sunday Telegraph claimed. |
| Response: Mr Kemp told the Sunday Telegraph the claims for bed linen and a second DVD player were "an error for which I apologise" and that he would pay back the cash. He said he bought the second TV and fridge before moving in to a new flat. He said there had been a problem with his washing machine but that he would be happy to reimburse the sum claimed. On suggestions he had profited from the sale of his second home by claiming £1,532 to cover legal fees, he said: "I'll seek advice from HMRC to ensure appropriate liabilities have been met." Return to top | Response: Mr Kemp told the Sunday Telegraph the claims for bed linen and a second DVD player were "an error for which I apologise" and that he would pay back the cash. He said he bought the second TV and fridge before moving in to a new flat. He said there had been a problem with his washing machine but that he would be happy to reimburse the sum claimed. On suggestions he had profited from the sale of his second home by claiming £1,532 to cover legal fees, he said: "I'll seek advice from HMRC to ensure appropriate liabilities have been met." Return to top |
| DAVID CLELLAND | DAVID CLELLAND |
| Claim: The Tyne Bridge MP was said to have "bought out" his partner's share of a joint mortgage on a flat in London, costing the taxpayer thousands of pounds plus legal fees. The Telegraph said that after the deal, which was approved by the Commons Fees Office, the mortgage interest payments increased by £200 per month. | Claim: The Tyne Bridge MP was said to have "bought out" his partner's share of a joint mortgage on a flat in London, costing the taxpayer thousands of pounds plus legal fees. The Telegraph said that after the deal, which was approved by the Commons Fees Office, the mortgage interest payments increased by £200 per month. |
| Response: Mr Clelland insisted it would have cost the taxpayer more had he rented a flat. He said his partner had initially viewed the property as an investment but that she legitimately decided to withdraw her money in 2004, when it was rumoured that MPs might be ordered to hand over any profits made from such properties to the taxpayer. He told the BBC the London flat was "not a home, it's the flat I live in... [it] is what I have to have to do my work as a member of parliament and that's why the costs fall on the taxpayer." | Response: Mr Clelland insisted it would have cost the taxpayer more had he rented a flat. He said his partner had initially viewed the property as an investment but that she legitimately decided to withdraw her money in 2004, when it was rumoured that MPs might be ordered to hand over any profits made from such properties to the taxpayer. He told the BBC the London flat was "not a home, it's the flat I live in... [it] is what I have to have to do my work as a member of parliament and that's why the costs fall on the taxpayer." |
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| DAVID CHAYTOR | DAVID CHAYTOR |
| Claim: The Telegraph said the Bury North MP claimed nearly £13,000 for a mortgage he had already cleared. The paper says that between September 2005 and August 2006, the Labour backbencher claimed £1,175 a month in interest on his Westminster flat. However, Land Registry records show the mortgage was paid off in January 2004. The Telegraph also alleged that Mr Chaytor "flipped" the designation of his second home six times, including once to a house registered in his son's name. He reportedly blamed these actions on "changing and complex family circumstances". | Claim: The Telegraph said the Bury North MP claimed nearly £13,000 for a mortgage he had already cleared. The paper says that between September 2005 and August 2006, the Labour backbencher claimed £1,175 a month in interest on his Westminster flat. However, Land Registry records show the mortgage was paid off in January 2004. The Telegraph also alleged that Mr Chaytor "flipped" the designation of his second home six times, including once to a house registered in his son's name. He reportedly blamed these actions on "changing and complex family circumstances". |
| Response: In a statement, Mr Chaytor told the Telegraph he apologised "unreservedly" for what had been "an unforgivable error in accounting procedures". He reportedly told the paper he would arrange repayment to the Commons fees office immediately. Mr Chaytor has referred himself to the parliamentary standards watchdog and has also been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party pending the outcome of investigations. A Downing Street spokesman said the matter was "very serious". | Response: In a statement, Mr Chaytor told the Telegraph he apologised "unreservedly" for what had been "an unforgivable error in accounting procedures". He reportedly told the paper he would arrange repayment to the Commons fees office immediately. Mr Chaytor has referred himself to the parliamentary standards watchdog and has also been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party pending the outcome of investigations. A Downing Street spokesman said the matter was "very serious". |
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| ELLIOT MORLEY | ELLIOT MORLEY |
| Claim: The Telegraph said the former environment minister claimed £16,000 in mortgage interest payments on his home in his Scunthorpe constituency even though the mortgage had ended 18 months before. Although records show his mortgage had been repaid by March 2006, Mr Morley continued to be reimbursed for £800 a month in 2006-7. The Telegraph claims the anomaly was not spotted earlier as Mr Morley re-designated his London home as his second residence - a move known as "flipping" - in November 2007. It says Mr Morley had been renting out his London flat to another Labour MP, Ian Cawsey who nominated it as his second home and claimed back the £1,000 a month rent he paid to Mr Morley. This arrangement ended in March 2008 after the Commons Fees office became aware of the situation. | Claim: The Telegraph said the former environment minister claimed £16,000 in mortgage interest payments on his home in his Scunthorpe constituency even though the mortgage had ended 18 months before. Although records show his mortgage had been repaid by March 2006, Mr Morley continued to be reimbursed for £800 a month in 2006-7. The Telegraph claims the anomaly was not spotted earlier as Mr Morley re-designated his London home as his second residence - a move known as "flipping" - in November 2007. It says Mr Morley had been renting out his London flat to another Labour MP, Ian Cawsey who nominated it as his second home and claimed back the £1,000 a month rent he paid to Mr Morley. This arrangement ended in March 2008 after the Commons Fees office became aware of the situation. |
| Response: Mr Morley admits the error was entirely his fault and has apologised "unreservedly" for it. He says he repaid all of the money once he had discovered his mistake. He has referred the matter of his expenses to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner for further scrutiny. However, Gordon Brown has acted by suspending Mr Morley as a member of the Parliamentary Labour Party and also suspending the whip from him in Parliament. Mr Morley has also been suspended from his role as Gordon Brown's climate change envoy. He has insisted he will continue to represent his constituents but at least one MP has called for him to stand down as an MP. Mr Cawsey told the Daily Telegraph he had been unaware of Mr Morley's financial arrangements. | Response: Mr Morley admits the error was entirely his fault and has apologised "unreservedly" for it. He says he repaid all of the money once he had discovered his mistake. He has referred the matter of his expenses to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner for further scrutiny. However, Gordon Brown has acted by suspending Mr Morley as a member of the Parliamentary Labour Party and also suspending the whip from him in Parliament. Mr Morley has also been suspended from his role as Gordon Brown's climate change envoy. He has insisted he will continue to represent his constituents but at least one MP has called for him to stand down as an MP. Mr Cawsey told the Daily Telegraph he had been unaware of Mr Morley's financial arrangements. |
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| SHAHID MALIK | SHAHID MALIK |
| Claim: The Telegraph says the Dewsbury MP claimed £66,827 from the second home allowance - the maximum allowed - over three years towards the cost of his London flat - bought in 2001 before he was elected. According to the paper, Mr Malik's claims over the period included £2,100 for a flat screen television, £1,420 for a bathroom, £671 for a fireplace and £730 for a massage chair. It says the Fees Office rejected the TV claim - ultimately granting the MP £1,050 for a TV and £250 for a DVD system - and a further claim for an iPod. Mr Malik is also reported to have claimed for a £65 court summons for not paying council tax. While claiming the equivalent of £443 per week for his London flat, the Telegraph says Mr Malik was paying less than £100 a week to rent a property in his constituency from a local businessman. It says the rental agreement with the businessman, from whom it says the MP also rented a constituency office - began in 2004 and continued until 2008 when Mr Malik married and moved into a larger property in the town. | Claim: The Telegraph says the Dewsbury MP claimed £66,827 from the second home allowance - the maximum allowed - over three years towards the cost of his London flat - bought in 2001 before he was elected. According to the paper, Mr Malik's claims over the period included £2,100 for a flat screen television, £1,420 for a bathroom, £671 for a fireplace and £730 for a massage chair. It says the Fees Office rejected the TV claim - ultimately granting the MP £1,050 for a TV and £250 for a DVD system - and a further claim for an iPod. Mr Malik is also reported to have claimed for a £65 court summons for not paying council tax. While claiming the equivalent of £443 per week for his London flat, the Telegraph says Mr Malik was paying less than £100 a week to rent a property in his constituency from a local businessman. It says the rental agreement with the businessman, from whom it says the MP also rented a constituency office - began in 2004 and continued until 2008 when Mr Malik married and moved into a larger property in the town. |
| Response: The justice minister defended his claims as being totally within the rules but has stepped down from his post pending an inquiry into whether receiving a preferential rent on his Dewsbury property breached the ministerial code. He emphatically rejects claims he was paying a peppercorn rent for his Dewsbury property, saying this was a fabrication. Mr Malik has repaid the £65 claim for council tax summons and has said he will make a £1050 donation - relating to the value of the TV - to good causes in his constituency as a "gesture". He said he would not give the money back to the fees office because they had approved all his expenditure in the first place. He said he had claimed for "basic essentials" under the second home allowance such as mortgage interest, utility bills and council tax and had behaved "one million per cent by the book". As for furnishings, he said he did not receive a "good service" from the Commons Fees Office which didn't tell him there was an upper limit on individual claimable items. He says the Green Book which governs what MPs can claim was full of "subjective rules" and the system was now "in tatters". He said he had never "flipped" his home arrangements and always spent most of his time in Dewsbury. He said the Telegraph had picked him out - rather than David Cameron, who he said had claimed as much as him - because it was a Conservative-supporting newspaper. | Response: The justice minister defended his claims as being totally within the rules but has stepped down from his post pending an inquiry into whether receiving a preferential rent on his Dewsbury property breached the ministerial code. He emphatically rejects claims he was paying a peppercorn rent for his Dewsbury property, saying this was a fabrication. Mr Malik has repaid the £65 claim for council tax summons and has said he will make a £1050 donation - relating to the value of the TV - to good causes in his constituency as a "gesture". He said he would not give the money back to the fees office because they had approved all his expenditure in the first place. He said he had claimed for "basic essentials" under the second home allowance such as mortgage interest, utility bills and council tax and had behaved "one million per cent by the book". As for furnishings, he said he did not receive a "good service" from the Commons Fees Office which didn't tell him there was an upper limit on individual claimable items. He says the Green Book which governs what MPs can claim was full of "subjective rules" and the system was now "in tatters". He said he had never "flipped" his home arrangements and always spent most of his time in Dewsbury. He said the Telegraph had picked him out - rather than David Cameron, who he said had claimed as much as him - because it was a Conservative-supporting newspaper. |
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| GORDON BROWN | GORDON BROWN |
| Claim: The prime minister paid his brother, Andrew, £6,577 for arranging cleaning services for his Westminster flat for 26 months. | Claim: The prime minister paid his brother, Andrew, £6,577 for arranging cleaning services for his Westminster flat for 26 months. |
| Since reporting the arrangement, the Telegraph group has clarified that there "has never been any suggestion of any impropriety on the part of the Prime Minister or his brother". | Since reporting the arrangement, the Telegraph group has clarified that there "has never been any suggestion of any impropriety on the part of the Prime Minister or his brother". |
| Response: No 10 said the two shared a cleaner who worked in both their flats. Andrew Brown paid her and was reimbursed for his share of the cost. He did not do the cleaning himself or gain financially. | Response: No 10 said the two shared a cleaner who worked in both their flats. Andrew Brown paid her and was reimbursed for his share of the cost. He did not do the cleaning himself or gain financially. |
| There was a formal contract for the arrangement, Downing Street sources add, stipulating the cleaner's hours of work and pay. The cleaner wanted to be paid by one person for National Insurance purposes. | There was a formal contract for the arrangement, Downing Street sources add, stipulating the cleaner's hours of work and pay. The cleaner wanted to be paid by one person for National Insurance purposes. |
| Claim: Gordon Brown also claimed twice for the same plumbing work within six months of each other. | Claim: Gordon Brown also claimed twice for the same plumbing work within six months of each other. |
| Response: The House of Commons Fees Office said the mistake had been inadvertent and apologised for having not spotted it. Gordon Brown is understood to have repaid the sum involved - believed to be £150. | Response: The House of Commons Fees Office said the mistake had been inadvertent and apologised for having not spotted it. Gordon Brown is understood to have repaid the sum involved - believed to be £150. |
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| JACK STRAW | JACK STRAW |
| Claim: The justice secretary over-claimed £1,500 on council tax on his second home. | Claim: The justice secretary over-claimed £1,500 on council tax on his second home. |
| He made a claim for the full bill despite getting a 50% discount from the local authority for the property. | He made a claim for the full bill despite getting a 50% discount from the local authority for the property. |
| Response: A spokesman for Mr Straw said he acted within the rules. He spotted the mistaken council tax claim himself and repaid the money himself. Mr Straw later told the BBC: "I have acted in complete good faith and within the rules. It is an error, which obviously I wish hadn't happened, but in circumstances in which I was incredibly busy during that period - that is not an excuse, it is just an explanation." | Response: A spokesman for Mr Straw said he acted within the rules. He spotted the mistaken council tax claim himself and repaid the money himself. Mr Straw later told the BBC: "I have acted in complete good faith and within the rules. It is an error, which obviously I wish hadn't happened, but in circumstances in which I was incredibly busy during that period - that is not an excuse, it is just an explanation." |
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| HAZEL BLEARS | HAZEL BLEARS |
| Claim: The communities secretary claimed for three different properties in a single year, spending almost £5,000 of taxpayers' money on furniture in three months, the Telegraph reports. | Claim: The communities secretary claimed for three different properties in a single year, spending almost £5,000 of taxpayers' money on furniture in three months, the Telegraph reports. |
| She also claimed for stays at London hotels after selling her flat. In March 2004, she declared her property in her Salford constituency was her second home and spent £850 on a television and video and £651 on a mattress. In April, she switched her second home to a flat in south London, claiming £850 a month for the mortgage. | She also claimed for stays at London hotels after selling her flat. In March 2004, she declared her property in her Salford constituency was her second home and spent £850 on a television and video and £651 on a mattress. In April, she switched her second home to a flat in south London, claiming £850 a month for the mortgage. |
| In August, she sold the flat, making a £45,000 profit, and stayed in hotels over the following two months. In December, she bought another London flat for £300,000, claiming a monthly mortgage of £1,000 and a grocery bill of £400. | In August, she sold the flat, making a £45,000 profit, and stayed in hotels over the following two months. In December, she bought another London flat for £300,000, claiming a monthly mortgage of £1,000 and a grocery bill of £400. |
| Response: Ms Blears has admitted she did not pay capital gains tax (CGT) on the £45,000 profit from the flat sale and has agreed to repay £13,332. CGT is charged at 40% on the sale of homes the Inland Revenue does not consider to be a main residence. At the time, it was registered as her second home for expenses purposes. Ms Blears said she had complied with both Commons and Revenue and Customs rules but had agreed to repay the tax anyway. Ms Blears said her outlay on furnishings - such as mattresses and pillows - was "reasonable". | Response: Ms Blears has admitted she did not pay capital gains tax (CGT) on the £45,000 profit from the flat sale and has agreed to repay £13,332. CGT is charged at 40% on the sale of homes the Inland Revenue does not consider to be a main residence. At the time, it was registered as her second home for expenses purposes. Ms Blears said she had complied with both Commons and Revenue and Customs rules but had agreed to repay the tax anyway. Ms Blears said her outlay on furnishings - such as mattresses and pillows - was "reasonable". |
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| ANDY BURNHAM | ANDY BURNHAM |
| Claim: The culture secretary was reportedly battling with the fees office for eight months over a £16,500 expenses claim to buy and renovate a new London flat which was eventually paid, after being rejected three times. | Claim: The culture secretary was reportedly battling with the fees office for eight months over a £16,500 expenses claim to buy and renovate a new London flat which was eventually paid, after being rejected three times. |
| He also claimed a £19.99 bath robe bought from Ikea in 2007 that was not allowed. | He also claimed a £19.99 bath robe bought from Ikea in 2007 that was not allowed. |
| Response: Mr Burnham insists he did not profit from the property transaction. He made only permissible claims and returned a £1,000 surplus to the Fees Office for allowances he did not spend. | Response: Mr Burnham insists he did not profit from the property transaction. He made only permissible claims and returned a £1,000 surplus to the Fees Office for allowances he did not spend. |
| On the Ikea receipt, he made a "genuine oversight" on one item. When it was discovered, he corrected it and he was not reimbursed. | On the Ikea receipt, he made a "genuine oversight" on one item. When it was discovered, he corrected it and he was not reimbursed. |
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| LORD MANDELSON | LORD MANDELSON |
| Claim: The business secretary claimed for improvements on his constituency home after he announced he was leaving Parliament to become an EU Commissioner. | Claim: The business secretary claimed for improvements on his constituency home after he announced he was leaving Parliament to become an EU Commissioner. |
| He later sold the property for a profit of £136,000. | He later sold the property for a profit of £136,000. |
| Response: Lord Mandelson rejected claims he used taxpayers' cash to "renovate" his home for profit, insisting the money was spent on essential maintenance. He said the Telegraph's report - which details a £1,500 gardening bill and £1,350 in house repairs - was presented to provoke public anger. "The fact is that these allowances would not have been paid if they weren't within the rules," he told BBC Radio Scotland. | Response: Lord Mandelson rejected claims he used taxpayers' cash to "renovate" his home for profit, insisting the money was spent on essential maintenance. He said the Telegraph's report - which details a £1,500 gardening bill and £1,350 in house repairs - was presented to provoke public anger. "The fact is that these allowances would not have been paid if they weren't within the rules," he told BBC Radio Scotland. |
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| GERALD KAUFMAN | GERALD KAUFMAN |
| Claim: Veteran Labour MP Sir Gerald Kaufman is alleged to have claimed £1,851 for a rug imported from a New York antique centre and tried to claim more than £8,000 for a television. The Telegraph also said he entered a claim for £28,834 - more than £15,000 of which was paid - for improvements to his London home, after telling officials he was "living in a slum". | Claim: Veteran Labour MP Sir Gerald Kaufman is alleged to have claimed £1,851 for a rug imported from a New York antique centre and tried to claim more than £8,000 for a television. The Telegraph also said he entered a claim for £28,834 - more than £15,000 of which was paid - for improvements to his London home, after telling officials he was "living in a slum". |
| Response: Mr Kaufman refused to comment publicly on the allegations when confronted by reporters in his Manchester Gorton constituency. Earlier, he reportedly told the Telegraph he had offered to repay the money for the rug and called the television claim "a bit daft". Return to top | Response: Mr Kaufman refused to comment publicly on the allegations when confronted by reporters in his Manchester Gorton constituency. Earlier, he reportedly told the Telegraph he had offered to repay the money for the rug and called the television claim "a bit daft". Return to top |
| PAUL MURPHY | PAUL MURPHY |
| Claim: The Welsh Secretary claimed for a new boiler after saying his existing hot water system was "too hot". | Claim: The Welsh Secretary claimed for a new boiler after saying his existing hot water system was "too hot". |
| Response: His old boiler was replaced after it was deemed unsafe and could not be repaired. All his claims were within the rules and "assiduously" checked by the authorities. | Response: His old boiler was replaced after it was deemed unsafe and could not be repaired. All his claims were within the rules and "assiduously" checked by the authorities. |
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| JOHN PRESCOTT | JOHN PRESCOTT |
| Claim: The former deputy prime minister claimed £312 for the fitting of mock Tudor beams to the front of his constituency home in Hull and in December 2004 a plumber charged him £210.79 for pipework, taps and to "refix WC seat," according to the newspaper. In September 2006, he put a £112.52 repair bill on expenses, which included "refit WC seat". | Claim: The former deputy prime minister claimed £312 for the fitting of mock Tudor beams to the front of his constituency home in Hull and in December 2004 a plumber charged him £210.79 for pipework, taps and to "refix WC seat," according to the newspaper. In September 2006, he put a £112.52 repair bill on expenses, which included "refit WC seat". |
| Response: Mr Prescott said: "Every expense was within the rules of the House of Commons on claiming expenses at the time." | Response: Mr Prescott said: "Every expense was within the rules of the House of Commons on claiming expenses at the time." |
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| ALISTAIR DARLING | ALISTAIR DARLING |
| Claim: The chancellor claimed £10,000 towards the cost of furnishing the London flat he bought in 2005, according to The Telegraph. | Claim: The chancellor claimed £10,000 towards the cost of furnishing the London flat he bought in 2005, according to The Telegraph. |
| Mr Darling bought the £226,000 property near the Oval cricket ground, claiming £2,074 for furniture and £2,339 for carpets. There was also a £765 claim from Ikea and £768 from Marks and Spencer's for a bed. The £146 cost of staying in a hotel while his flat was being renovated in September 2005 was rejected by the fees office on the grounds that the property was counted as his second home. | Mr Darling bought the £226,000 property near the Oval cricket ground, claiming £2,074 for furniture and £2,339 for carpets. There was also a £765 claim from Ikea and £768 from Marks and Spencer's for a bed. The £146 cost of staying in a hotel while his flat was being renovated in September 2005 was rejected by the fees office on the grounds that the property was counted as his second home. |
| But Mr Darling successfully argued that he was "between second homes" and the bill was later paid. He also used his expenses to cover the stamp duty of £2,260 and legal fees totalling £1,238. | But Mr Darling successfully argued that he was "between second homes" and the bill was later paid. He also used his expenses to cover the stamp duty of £2,260 and legal fees totalling £1,238. |
| It was also reported that Mr Darling "switched" the location of his second home four times in four years, allowing him to claim thousands of pounds towards the cost of both his Edinburgh home and for the London flat. | It was also reported that Mr Darling "switched" the location of his second home four times in four years, allowing him to claim thousands of pounds towards the cost of both his Edinburgh home and for the London flat. |
| Response: Mr Darling said: "The claims were made within House of Commons rules which were designed to reflect the fact that MPs have to meet the cost of living in two places." | Response: Mr Darling said: "The claims were made within House of Commons rules which were designed to reflect the fact that MPs have to meet the cost of living in two places." |
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| SHAUN WOODWARD | SHAUN WOODWARD |
| Claim: Taxpayers contributed almost £100,000 to help pay the mortgage on a £1.35m flat owned by the Northern Ireland secretary, it is reported. | Claim: Taxpayers contributed almost £100,000 to help pay the mortgage on a £1.35m flat owned by the Northern Ireland secretary, it is reported. |
| The money went on mortgage interest payments and council tax between 2004 and 2008 for the flat. Married to a member of the Sainsbury family and worth an estimated £15m - Mr Woodward is the richest member of the cabinet, though he does not draw a full ministerial salary. | The money went on mortgage interest payments and council tax between 2004 and 2008 for the flat. Married to a member of the Sainsbury family and worth an estimated £15m - Mr Woodward is the richest member of the cabinet, though he does not draw a full ministerial salary. |
| Response: The Northern Ireland secretary's spokesman has said the claims are within the rules and guidelines but Mr Woodward admitted politicians collectively looked "shameful". He said: "If I try to make almost any defence of our collective position - or my position - it looks terrible." However, he added that politicians of all parties "are good people who try by and large to do a good job" within a "rotten" system. | Response: The Northern Ireland secretary's spokesman has said the claims are within the rules and guidelines but Mr Woodward admitted politicians collectively looked "shameful". He said: "If I try to make almost any defence of our collective position - or my position - it looks terrible." However, he added that politicians of all parties "are good people who try by and large to do a good job" within a "rotten" system. |
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| CAROLINE FLINT | CAROLINE FLINT |
| Claim: The Telegraph claims the Europe minister put solicitors' fees and stamp duty totalling £14,553 on her Parliamentary expenses after buying a central London flat. | Claim: The Telegraph claims the Europe minister put solicitors' fees and stamp duty totalling £14,553 on her Parliamentary expenses after buying a central London flat. |
| Before moving in to her second home in Victoria, she also claimed the £177 a month cost of putting her furniture in storage. Over a period of about eight months in 2005 to 2006, Ms Flint claimed for staying in hotels for an average of three nights a week. | Before moving in to her second home in Victoria, she also claimed the £177 a month cost of putting her furniture in storage. Over a period of about eight months in 2005 to 2006, Ms Flint claimed for staying in hotels for an average of three nights a week. |
| Response: Ms Flint told the Telegraph she had sought advice from Commons officials at each stage and "never sought to make personal gains from public funds". She said only about half the cost of her London flat - including stamp duty - was met through public funds as she had contributed a "substantial amount" towards the cost of buying it from the proceeds of a previous flat sale. | Response: Ms Flint told the Telegraph she had sought advice from Commons officials at each stage and "never sought to make personal gains from public funds". She said only about half the cost of her London flat - including stamp duty - was met through public funds as she had contributed a "substantial amount" towards the cost of buying it from the proceeds of a previous flat sale. |
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| DOUGLAS ALEXANDER | DOUGLAS ALEXANDER |
| Claim: The International Development Secretary's constituency home was damaged in a house fire in 2007 after he spent more than £30,000 on repairing it, according to the Telegraph. | Claim: The International Development Secretary's constituency home was damaged in a house fire in 2007 after he spent more than £30,000 on repairing it, according to the Telegraph. |
| He told the fees office he was "under-insured" and claimed almost £2,000 on items lost in the fire, which he later repaid when his insurers reimbursed him. He has yet to comment. | He told the fees office he was "under-insured" and claimed almost £2,000 on items lost in the fire, which he later repaid when his insurers reimbursed him. He has yet to comment. |
| Response: Mr Alexander said that he had sought the advice of the Fees Office after the fire that damaged his property, "to obtain their guidance as to what it was appropriate to claim in these circumstances, given my continuing need for accommodation to allow me to undertake my work as an MP." | Response: Mr Alexander said that he had sought the advice of the Fees Office after the fire that damaged his property, "to obtain their guidance as to what it was appropriate to claim in these circumstances, given my continuing need for accommodation to allow me to undertake my work as an MP." |
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| MARGARET BECKETT | MARGARET BECKETT |
| Claim: Mrs Beckett found herself in trouble with the Fees Office after attempting to claim £600 for hanging baskets and pot plants. | Claim: Mrs Beckett found herself in trouble with the Fees Office after attempting to claim £600 for hanging baskets and pot plants. |
| An official informed her in a letter that expenses had to be "wholly, exclusively and necessarily incurred to enable you to stay overnight away from your main home". She claimed second home allowances of £72,537 from 2004 to 2008, despite having no mortgage or rent to pay on her constituency home in Derby. As environment secretary and foreign secretary, Mrs Beckett was living at the grace and favour Admiralty House in Whitehall, which enabled her to rent out her London flat. | An official informed her in a letter that expenses had to be "wholly, exclusively and necessarily incurred to enable you to stay overnight away from your main home". She claimed second home allowances of £72,537 from 2004 to 2008, despite having no mortgage or rent to pay on her constituency home in Derby. As environment secretary and foreign secretary, Mrs Beckett was living at the grace and favour Admiralty House in Whitehall, which enabled her to rent out her London flat. |
| Response: The former foreign secretary said: "Grace and favour homes are not rent free, we are taxed on them as a benefit in kind." | Response: The former foreign secretary said: "Grace and favour homes are not rent free, we are taxed on them as a benefit in kind." |
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| DAVID MILIBAND | DAVID MILIBAND |
| Claim: The foreign secretary claimed almost £30,000 for doing up his £120,000 constituency home over five years, it was reported. He spent up to £180 every three months on the garden at the property in South Shields. | Claim: The foreign secretary claimed almost £30,000 for doing up his £120,000 constituency home over five years, it was reported. He spent up to £180 every three months on the garden at the property in South Shields. |
| Response: According to Mr Miliband's spokesman "at every stage, David Miliband followed procedures and rules as laid out by the parliamentary authorities." | Response: According to Mr Miliband's spokesman "at every stage, David Miliband followed procedures and rules as laid out by the parliamentary authorities." |
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| NICK BROWN | NICK BROWN |
| Claim: The Chief Whip claimed £18,000 in expenses without receipts for food over four years. He also claimed £250 a month for a cleaner, £200 a month for "service and maintenance", and £200 a month for "repairs" - all without receipts. Mr Brown - who has been put in charge of investigating claims involving Labour MPs - also claimed £87,708 for his constituency home between 2004 and 2008. In 2007/8 his mortgage interest repayments were £6,600. But he claimed £23,068 - just £15 below the maximum permitted - by including £4,800 for food, £2,880 for services, £2,880 for "repairs and insurance", £1,810 for utilities, £1,640 for phones and £897.65 for cleaning. | Claim: The Chief Whip claimed £18,000 in expenses without receipts for food over four years. He also claimed £250 a month for a cleaner, £200 a month for "service and maintenance", and £200 a month for "repairs" - all without receipts. Mr Brown - who has been put in charge of investigating claims involving Labour MPs - also claimed £87,708 for his constituency home between 2004 and 2008. In 2007/8 his mortgage interest repayments were £6,600. But he claimed £23,068 - just £15 below the maximum permitted - by including £4,800 for food, £2,880 for services, £2,880 for "repairs and insurance", £1,810 for utilities, £1,640 for phones and £897.65 for cleaning. |
| Response: Mr Brown, MP for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend, told his local newspaper, The Journal, that his claims were "not unreasonable" and were all for genuine expenses. He added: "I am working flat out for the people that I represent and the politics that I believe in." | Response: Mr Brown, MP for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend, told his local newspaper, The Journal, that his claims were "not unreasonable" and were all for genuine expenses. He added: "I am working flat out for the people that I represent and the politics that I believe in." |
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| ED BALLS AND YVETTE COOPER | ED BALLS AND YVETTE COOPER |
| Claim: The Telegraph says Ms Cooper re-designated, or "flipped", her second home from a property in South Yorkshire to the London home she owned with her husband Ed Balls in 2005 - after he was elected to the Commons. After that, the paper says the couple each claimed half of the share of their £1,468 mortgage interest costs. In May 2007, the couple moved to a larger home in London and began claiming £1,031 each in mortgage interest as well as £2,000 in moving costs. According to the paper, the two submitted the same claim twice in July 2006. | Claim: The Telegraph says Ms Cooper re-designated, or "flipped", her second home from a property in South Yorkshire to the London home she owned with her husband Ed Balls in 2005 - after he was elected to the Commons. After that, the paper says the couple each claimed half of the share of their £1,468 mortgage interest costs. In May 2007, the couple moved to a larger home in London and began claiming £1,031 each in mortgage interest as well as £2,000 in moving costs. According to the paper, the two submitted the same claim twice in July 2006. |
| Response: Ms Cooper, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said she sought advice from the Commons authorities before changing her second home arrangement in 2005. The two MPs say they split the cost of bills evenly and since moving in 2007, have claimed less than in allowances than in the previous two years. Between them, they claimed just over £24,000 in 2007-8, above the £23,083 limit for a single MP but well below the £46,000 threshold for couples. The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner investigated their second home arrangement in 2008 and approved it, pointing out the couple had paid capital gains tax on the flat sale. The couple say the 2006 'double claim' was an inadvertent error and the correct amount was paid once spotted. | Response: Ms Cooper, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said she sought advice from the Commons authorities before changing her second home arrangement in 2005. The two MPs say they split the cost of bills evenly and since moving in 2007, have claimed less than in allowances than in the previous two years. Between them, they claimed just over £24,000 in 2007-8, above the £23,083 limit for a single MP but well below the £46,000 threshold for couples. The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner investigated their second home arrangement in 2008 and approved it, pointing out the couple had paid capital gains tax on the flat sale. The couple say the 2006 'double claim' was an inadvertent error and the correct amount was paid once spotted. |
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| BARBARA FOLLETT | BARBARA FOLLETT |
| Claim: The tourism minister claimed £25,411.64 for security patrols at her London home after she was mugged. | Claim: The tourism minister claimed £25,411.64 for security patrols at her London home after she was mugged. |
| She also requested £528.75 to have a Chinese needlepoint rug repaired and cleaned but that was deemed excessive by the Fees Office and she was handed back just £300. | She also requested £528.75 to have a Chinese needlepoint rug repaired and cleaned but that was deemed excessive by the Fees Office and she was handed back just £300. |
| Response: Mrs Follett told the BBC: "I claimed it, it's within the rules and I have no comment to make." She had earlier told the Telegraph that only two of the claims she had submitted during the last 12 years had been disputed and that the one item not accepted had been claimed in error. | Response: Mrs Follett told the BBC: "I claimed it, it's within the rules and I have no comment to make." She had earlier told the Telegraph that only two of the claims she had submitted during the last 12 years had been disputed and that the one item not accepted had been claimed in error. |
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| PHIL WOOLAS | PHIL WOOLAS |
| Claim: The Telegraph suggested the immigration minister had claimed for nappies and women's clothing when submitting requests for expenses. | Claim: The Telegraph suggested the immigration minister had claimed for nappies and women's clothing when submitting requests for expenses. |
| It said it was unclear how these items had been justified because parliamentary rules only allowed payouts for items which were "exclusively" for MPs' own use. | It said it was unclear how these items had been justified because parliamentary rules only allowed payouts for items which were "exclusively" for MPs' own use. |
| Response: Mr Woolas has threatened legal action over the "disgusting" allegations. He said the items had been on supermarket receipts submitted as part of a claim for food expenses but that he had never asked for money for them. Mr Woolas described the expenses records as "stolen property". | Response: Mr Woolas has threatened legal action over the "disgusting" allegations. He said the items had been on supermarket receipts submitted as part of a claim for food expenses but that he had never asked for money for them. Mr Woolas described the expenses records as "stolen property". |
| Claim: In response to Mr Woolas' complaints, the Sunday Telegraph claimed that in August 2004 he had submitted five receipts totalling £210.31 for food and was reimbursed in full. However, the paper points out that the receipts included non-permissible items such as disposable bibs, nail polish, comics and a ladies' jumper. | |
| Response: Mr Woolas told the newspaper he understood the extrapolation but insisted he had done nothing wrong. He has pointed out that - under rules at the time - he was not obliged to submit receipts for food totalling up to £400. He has also pointed out that he did not claim for women's clothing, as the newspaper claims. He said he had actually submitted six receipts totalling £245.98, meaning he did not receive taxpayers' money for some items. "I am being hung out to dry for being honest," he said. | |
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| PHIL HOPE | PHIL HOPE |
| Claim: Care Services Minister Phil Hope was said to have spent more than £37,000 over about four years on refurbishing and furnishing a two-bedroom south London flat. | Claim: Care Services Minister Phil Hope was said to have spent more than £37,000 over about four years on refurbishing and furnishing a two-bedroom south London flat. |
| Response: Mr Hope has said his claims for running and furnishing the flat were "in full accordance with the rules" and that the purchases were "no more than was necessary to live in a habitable residence". However, he has decided to pay back £41,709 of the money in light of the public anger about the expenses system. He said negative coverage about his claims had been a "massive blow" to him and his family and reduced the standing in which he was held by his constituents. | Response: Mr Hope has said his claims for running and furnishing the flat were "in full accordance with the rules" and that the purchases were "no more than was necessary to live in a habitable residence". However, he has decided to pay back £41,709 of the money in light of the public anger about the expenses system. He said negative coverage about his claims had been a "massive blow" to him and his family and reduced the standing in which he was held by his constituents. |
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| DAWN BUTLER | DAWN BUTLER |
| Claim: The Labour whip offered to "dig out" other receipts after she over-claimed rent on her constituency home by £2,600 - an offer which was accepted by the Commons fees office. After the Brent South MP bought a home in Wembley, she claimed £2,650 for a central heating system and installed a whirlpool bath in a suite costing £2,308 - even though her main home was just 15 miles away in east London. Though just £800 was claimed for the bathroom, the parliamentary green book says payments should not be made for "capital costs of repairs which go beyond making good dilapidations and enhance the property". | Claim: The Labour whip offered to "dig out" other receipts after she over-claimed rent on her constituency home by £2,600 - an offer which was accepted by the Commons fees office. After the Brent South MP bought a home in Wembley, she claimed £2,650 for a central heating system and installed a whirlpool bath in a suite costing £2,308 - even though her main home was just 15 miles away in east London. Though just £800 was claimed for the bathroom, the parliamentary green book says payments should not be made for "capital costs of repairs which go beyond making good dilapidations and enhance the property". |
| Response: Ms Butler denied the claim about the whirlpool bath and said she was taking legal advice. "There is nothing underhand here in any of my claims. All the claims are for legitimate expenditure," she added. | Response: Ms Butler denied the claim about the whirlpool bath and said she was taking legal advice. "There is nothing underhand here in any of my claims. All the claims are for legitimate expenditure," she added. |
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| KEITH VAZ | KEITH VAZ |
| Claim: The chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee claimed more than £75,000 to fund a second home in Westminster, even though his family home is just 12 miles away in Stanmore. | Claim: The chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee claimed more than £75,000 to fund a second home in Westminster, even though his family home is just 12 miles away in Stanmore. |
| The Telegraph also suggested he changed his designated second home for a single year to property in his Leicester constituency, before claiming more than £4,000 on furnishings. | The Telegraph also suggested he changed his designated second home for a single year to property in his Leicester constituency, before claiming more than £4,000 on furnishings. |
| Response: Mr Vaz told the BBC he lived in Leicester and that his second home was in Westminster. He has had a Westminster flat since becoming an MP in 1987. He made no claim for the Stanmore home, which he acquired on getting married and was - he pointed out - not in central London. "It's on junction 4 of the M1 and I keep the Westminster flat for early morning meetings as do many MPs who live in that block," he said. | Response: Mr Vaz told the BBC he lived in Leicester and that his second home was in Westminster. He has had a Westminster flat since becoming an MP in 1987. He made no claim for the Stanmore home, which he acquired on getting married and was - he pointed out - not in central London. "It's on junction 4 of the M1 and I keep the Westminster flat for early morning meetings as do many MPs who live in that block," he said. |
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| BEN BRADSHAW | BEN BRADSHAW |
| Claim: A health minister, the Telegraph claimed he had switched his second home designation to a more expensive jointly-owned London property and claimed full mortgage interest payments, in order for his partner to "benefit from the system". | Claim: A health minister, the Telegraph claimed he had switched his second home designation to a more expensive jointly-owned London property and claimed full mortgage interest payments, in order for his partner to "benefit from the system". |
| The couple had previously split the mortgage costs, the paper said. However, it claimed that Mr Bradshaw was now submitting the entire cost of interest on the property to be paid out of expenses. | The couple had previously split the mortgage costs, the paper said. However, it claimed that Mr Bradshaw was now submitting the entire cost of interest on the property to be paid out of expenses. |
| Response: Exeter MP Mr Bradshaw told the BBC he had always claimed for their London home and only briefly switched to claiming for his constituency property between 2003 and 2006, because of a temporary rule telling ministers to claim constituency rather than London costs. The minister said before he and his partner entered into a civil partnership in 2006 he had claimed only a proportion of the mortgage interest - even though he would have been entitled to claim it all. Since then, he had claimed for and paid the full mortgage interest on their London property, as the rules allowed, he said. He added that he always submitted comparatively low claims and had long called for reform of the expenses system. | Response: Exeter MP Mr Bradshaw told the BBC he had always claimed for their London home and only briefly switched to claiming for his constituency property between 2003 and 2006, because of a temporary rule telling ministers to claim constituency rather than London costs. The minister said before he and his partner entered into a civil partnership in 2006 he had claimed only a proportion of the mortgage interest - even though he would have been entitled to claim it all. Since then, he had claimed for and paid the full mortgage interest on their London property, as the rules allowed, he said. He added that he always submitted comparatively low claims and had long called for reform of the expenses system. |
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| MARGARET MORAN | MARGARET MORAN |
| Claim: According to the Telegraph, the Labour MP for Luton South spent £22,500 treating dry rot at the coastal property in Southampton she had designated as her second home - even though it was a two-hour drive from Parliament and 100 miles from her constituency. | Claim: According to the Telegraph, the Labour MP for Luton South spent £22,500 treating dry rot at the coastal property in Southampton she had designated as her second home - even though it was a two-hour drive from Parliament and 100 miles from her constituency. |
| Response: Ms Moran has now said she will pay back the money claimed for her Southampton home. She said it was claimed in full consultation with staff at the Commons fees office and said she had stuck to the rules. But she added: "However, I do understand constituents' anger at the current fees regime, which is why I will be repaying the full amount claimed for my home in Southampton." Explaining her claim days earlier she said her partner had worked in Southampton for 20 years and that she could not "make him come to Luton all the time". She said: "I have to have a proper family life and I can't do that unless I share the costs of the Southampton home with him." Ms Moran also said there had been some "inaccuracies" which were "probably actionable" in the Telegraph reports. | Response: Ms Moran has now said she will pay back the money claimed for her Southampton home. She said it was claimed in full consultation with staff at the Commons fees office and said she had stuck to the rules. But she added: "However, I do understand constituents' anger at the current fees regime, which is why I will be repaying the full amount claimed for my home in Southampton." Explaining her claim days earlier she said her partner had worked in Southampton for 20 years and that she could not "make him come to Luton all the time". She said: "I have to have a proper family life and I can't do that unless I share the costs of the Southampton home with him." Ms Moran also said there had been some "inaccuracies" which were "probably actionable" in the Telegraph reports. |
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| KITTY USSHER | KITTY USSHER |
| Claim: Within a year of being elected in 2005, Ms Ussher is said to have set out to the Commons authorities over two pages a list of "essential repairs" to her Victorian house in south London. | Claim: Within a year of being elected in 2005, Ms Ussher is said to have set out to the Commons authorities over two pages a list of "essential repairs" to her Victorian house in south London. |
| It detailed how the house "was relatively cheap to purchase but requires quite a lot of work". Among the work listed was replacing "rotten" sash windows and a "grimy" stair carpet. She received the full £22,110 allowance, although her requests to replace "strange" plumbing and "bad taste" Artex were refused. The Sunday Telegraph claimed she had already lived in the house for five years. | It detailed how the house "was relatively cheap to purchase but requires quite a lot of work". Among the work listed was replacing "rotten" sash windows and a "grimy" stair carpet. She received the full £22,110 allowance, although her requests to replace "strange" plumbing and "bad taste" Artex were refused. The Sunday Telegraph claimed she had already lived in the house for five years. |
| Response: The work and pensions minister's spokesman said Ms Ussher "fully supports" the review into MPs' expenses claims and believed it was right that MPs expenses' claims should be published. "All her claims were in line with the relevant House of Commons rules and guidance and have been approved by the Fees Office," he said. | Response: The work and pensions minister's spokesman said Ms Ussher "fully supports" the review into MPs' expenses claims and believed it was right that MPs expenses' claims should be published. "All her claims were in line with the relevant House of Commons rules and guidance and have been approved by the Fees Office," he said. |
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| TAM DALYELL | TAM DALYELL |
| Claim: Former long-serving Labour MP Tam Dalyell attempted to claim £18,000 for bookcases, two months before retiring from Parliament in 2005, the Telegraph alleged. | Claim: Former long-serving Labour MP Tam Dalyell attempted to claim £18,000 for bookcases, two months before retiring from Parliament in 2005, the Telegraph alleged. |
| Response: Mr Dalyell, formerly MP for Linlithgow, said he was "absolutely unrepentant" about the claim. He told the BBC he had bought the bookcases to store documents gathered during his political career and had approached the Fees Office to ask what proportion of the £18,000 he could claim back in expenses. He said the office eventually paid about £7,800. He said he believed it was "a legitimate office expense" and would "definitely not" pay the money back. | Response: Mr Dalyell, formerly MP for Linlithgow, said he was "absolutely unrepentant" about the claim. He told the BBC he had bought the bookcases to store documents gathered during his political career and had approached the Fees Office to ask what proportion of the £18,000 he could claim back in expenses. He said the office eventually paid about £7,800. He said he believed it was "a legitimate office expense" and would "definitely not" pay the money back. |
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| KEVIN BRENNAN | KEVIN BRENNAN |
| Claim: It is claimed the junior minister had a £450 widescreen television delivered to his family home in Wales and then claimed it on his allowance for his second home in London. | Claim: It is claimed the junior minister had a £450 widescreen television delivered to his family home in Wales and then claimed it on his allowance for his second home in London. |
| Response: Mr Brennan, Parliamentary Under Secretary in the Cabinet Office, said the Telegraph story was "a thinly-disguised smear which has absolutely no basis in fact". He said all items claimed for which were purchased in or delivered to his Cardiff home were for exclusive use in the London property, and after the larger items were stored in his garage they were taken east by a local business. Mr Brennan insisted that he had always stuck to the rules, but said the system needed to be "urgently reformed". | Response: Mr Brennan, Parliamentary Under Secretary in the Cabinet Office, said the Telegraph story was "a thinly-disguised smear which has absolutely no basis in fact". He said all items claimed for which were purchased in or delivered to his Cardiff home were for exclusive use in the London property, and after the larger items were stored in his garage they were taken east by a local business. Mr Brennan insisted that he had always stuck to the rules, but said the system needed to be "urgently reformed". |
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| IAIN WRIGHT AND TOM WATSON | IAIN WRIGHT AND TOM WATSON |
| Claim: The two Labour ministers have claimed more than £100,000 for a shared London flat since May 2005, according to the Telegraph. The ministers each claimed for their share of the legal costs involved in purchasing the property and then later for the fees to buy the freehold. Neither minister has yet responded. | Claim: The two Labour ministers have claimed more than £100,000 for a shared London flat since May 2005, according to the Telegraph. The ministers each claimed for their share of the legal costs involved in purchasing the property and then later for the fees to buy the freehold. Neither minister has yet responded. |
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| BARRY GARDINER | BARRY GARDINER |
| Claim: The MP for Brent North made a profit of almost £200,000 from a flat mortgaged and renovated with the help of taxpayers' cash, the Telegraph has alleged. He is yet to respond. | Claim: The MP for Brent North made a profit of almost £200,000 from a flat mortgaged and renovated with the help of taxpayers' cash, the Telegraph has alleged. He is yet to respond. |
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| CHRIS BRYANT | CHRIS BRYANT |
| Claim: The Telegraph accused the MP for Rhondda of "flipping" his second home twice in two years, allowing him to claim almost £20,000 in expenses. | Claim: The Telegraph accused the MP for Rhondda of "flipping" his second home twice in two years, allowing him to claim almost £20,000 in expenses. |
| Response: Mr Bryant, who is deputy leader of the House of Commons, described the allegations as "unfounded and inaccurate". The openly-gay MP said he moved to a more secure property after "a series of attacks on my home" and had asked the Fees Office what work on the new house he could claim back. | Response: Mr Bryant, who is deputy leader of the House of Commons, described the allegations as "unfounded and inaccurate". The openly-gay MP said he moved to a more secure property after "a series of attacks on my home" and had asked the Fees Office what work on the new house he could claim back. |
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| VERA BAIRD QC | VERA BAIRD QC |
| Claim: The Solicitor General - one of the government's top legal advisers - was refused a £268 claim for Christmas decorations. | Claim: The Solicitor General - one of the government's top legal advisers - was refused a £268 claim for Christmas decorations. |
| Response: Ms Baird insists she has broken no rules. | Response: Ms Baird insists she has broken no rules. |
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| STEPHEN BYERS | STEPHEN BYERS |
| Claim: The former Trade Secretary used the expenses system to claim more than £125,000 for the London flat owned by his partner, it is claimed. | Claim: The former Trade Secretary used the expenses system to claim more than £125,000 for the London flat owned by his partner, it is claimed. |
| Over the past five years, Mr Byers is said to have spent more than £27,000 on renovation, redecoration, maintenance and appliances at his flat in Camden, north London. | Over the past five years, Mr Byers is said to have spent more than £27,000 on renovation, redecoration, maintenance and appliances at his flat in Camden, north London. |
| Response: Mr Byers told the Sunday Telegraph all his claims were within the rules and had been approved by Commons authorities. | Response: Mr Byers told the Sunday Telegraph all his claims were within the rules and had been approved by Commons authorities. |
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| JOHN REID | JOHN REID |
| Claim: The Telegraph has suggested the former Home Secretary claimed for a £199 pouffe, a £370 armchair and an £899 sofa. | Claim: The Telegraph has suggested the former Home Secretary claimed for a £199 pouffe, a £370 armchair and an £899 sofa. |
| He is also said to have submitted receipts for £486.50 spent at Marks and Spencer last August on items including slotted spoons, three rattan bins, oven mitts, wineglasses and ice cube trays. His expenses claim for 2007-08 also included a letter from the TV Licensing authority warning the occupier of the property "there is no valid television licence". Mr Reid's office pointed out that the TV licensing letter was addressed to the previous occupier of the property. | He is also said to have submitted receipts for £486.50 spent at Marks and Spencer last August on items including slotted spoons, three rattan bins, oven mitts, wineglasses and ice cube trays. His expenses claim for 2007-08 also included a letter from the TV Licensing authority warning the occupier of the property "there is no valid television licence". Mr Reid's office pointed out that the TV licensing letter was addressed to the previous occupier of the property. |
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| TONY BLAIR | TONY BLAIR |
| Claim: The former Prime Minister used his parliamentary expenses to remortgage his constituency home for £296,000 - nearly 10 times what he paid for it - just months before buying a west London house for £3.65m. | Claim: The former Prime Minister used his parliamentary expenses to remortgage his constituency home for £296,000 - nearly 10 times what he paid for it - just months before buying a west London house for £3.65m. |
| According to the Sunday Telegraph, the loan would have been enough to cover the cost of the deposit on the new home. It said he was able to claim for interest repayments on almost a third of the new mortgage on his constituency home. | According to the Sunday Telegraph, the loan would have been enough to cover the cost of the deposit on the new home. It said he was able to claim for interest repayments on almost a third of the new mortgage on his constituency home. |
| Response: His spokesman told the newspaper Mr Blair only claimed back the interest repayments on the portion of the mortgage which covered the purchase price and improvements to the house. There was no cost to the taxpayer in the rest of the money raised against the property, he added. | Response: His spokesman told the newspaper Mr Blair only claimed back the interest repayments on the portion of the mortgage which covered the purchase price and improvements to the house. There was no cost to the taxpayer in the rest of the money raised against the property, he added. |
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| CLAIRE WARD | CLAIRE WARD |
| Claim: The government whip claimed up to £1,150 in "petty cash" over eight months on her second home allowance. When told by the fees office in 2004 that cash payments were not permitted, she stopped claiming but did not return the money. Ms Ward, MP for Watford, switched her second home to a flat just a few minutes walk from her old property and more than doubled her mortgage interest payments. | Claim: The government whip claimed up to £1,150 in "petty cash" over eight months on her second home allowance. When told by the fees office in 2004 that cash payments were not permitted, she stopped claiming but did not return the money. Ms Ward, MP for Watford, switched her second home to a flat just a few minutes walk from her old property and more than doubled her mortgage interest payments. |
| Response: Ms Ward told the Telegraph that the claims for "petty cash" were clarified as "miscellaneous household items". She denied "flipping" her second home for financial gain, saying that she had sold a one-bedroom flat and bought a two-bedroom flat in anticipation of her new family. As she had an offset mortgage, she said, her housing costs had "fluctuated". | Response: Ms Ward told the Telegraph that the claims for "petty cash" were clarified as "miscellaneous household items". She denied "flipping" her second home for financial gain, saying that she had sold a one-bedroom flat and bought a two-bedroom flat in anticipation of her new family. As she had an offset mortgage, she said, her housing costs had "fluctuated". |
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| MARK LAZAROWICZ | MARK LAZAROWICZ |
| Claim: Edinburgh North and Leith MP Mark Lazarowicz claimed more than £5,000 in costs for legal and professional fees incurred in extending the lease of his London flat. | Claim: Edinburgh North and Leith MP Mark Lazarowicz claimed more than £5,000 in costs for legal and professional fees incurred in extending the lease of his London flat. |
| Response: Mr Lazarowicz has decided to repay about £2,675 of those costs. | Response: Mr Lazarowicz has decided to repay about £2,675 of those costs. |
| While the claims had been approved by the Fees Office, he said he had only realised the scale of the legal costs associated with the extension - which led to a lengthy dispute - in recent days. | While the claims had been approved by the Fees Office, he said he had only realised the scale of the legal costs associated with the extension - which led to a lengthy dispute - in recent days. |
| He said the amount was "much higher" than many of the public would be prepared to accept and that it was right that he repaid a "substantial" share of it. | He said the amount was "much higher" than many of the public would be prepared to accept and that it was right that he repaid a "substantial" share of it. |
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| ALAN AND ANN KEEN | ALAN AND ANN KEEN |
| Claim: The Telegraph says Labour MPs Alan and Ann Keen - who are married - have claimed £137,679 between them towards a central London flat despite the fact their family home is less than ten miles away. According to the paper, the couple bought the London property in 2002 and have, between them, claimed more than £30,000 towards it in each of the past four years. The couple's main home is in Brentford. Alan Keen is MP for Feltham and Heston while Ann Keen - a junior health minister - is MP for neighbouring Brentford and Isleworth. The paper said the couple claimed for interest payments on a £520,000 mortgage for the London flat even though the actual purchase price of the property was £500,000. It also claims the Fees Office had reduced their awards in 2007 because both MPs had claimed for council tax on the London property. Among the couple's claims on the London property, the paper adds, were a £50 call-out fee for fixing the sound on a home cinema system. | Claim: The Telegraph says Labour MPs Alan and Ann Keen - who are married - have claimed £137,679 between them towards a central London flat despite the fact their family home is less than ten miles away. According to the paper, the couple bought the London property in 2002 and have, between them, claimed more than £30,000 towards it in each of the past four years. The couple's main home is in Brentford. Alan Keen is MP for Feltham and Heston while Ann Keen - a junior health minister - is MP for neighbouring Brentford and Isleworth. The paper said the couple claimed for interest payments on a £520,000 mortgage for the London flat even though the actual purchase price of the property was £500,000. It also claims the Fees Office had reduced their awards in 2007 because both MPs had claimed for council tax on the London property. Among the couple's claims on the London property, the paper adds, were a £50 call-out fee for fixing the sound on a home cinema system. |
| Response: The couple say that, under the second home allowance rules, married MPs are entitled to separately claim for a property that they share and live in together. Alan Keen said the Commons authorities had agreed to the mortgage repayment claims after the couple explained to them that their bank had asked for the loan to be secured against both properties for added security. He said the authorities had agreed that the value of the London flat was £520,000, the couple having bought it for £500,000 and agreed to pay the seller an additional £20,000 for fixtures and fittings. | Response: The couple say that, under the second home allowance rules, married MPs are entitled to separately claim for a property that they share and live in together. Alan Keen said the Commons authorities had agreed to the mortgage repayment claims after the couple explained to them that their bank had asked for the loan to be secured against both properties for added security. He said the authorities had agreed that the value of the London flat was £520,000, the couple having bought it for £500,000 and agreed to pay the seller an additional £20,000 for fixtures and fittings. |
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| IAN AUSTIN | IAN AUSTIN |
| Claim: The government whip attempted to spread his claim for stamp duty on his second home in London across two financial years. Mr Austin, MP for Dudley North, divided the stamp duty on the purchase of the London flat in March 2006 into two claims - £6,770 on 28 March and £1,344 on 3 April. As a result, he was able to claim nearly all his second home allowance for the financial year 2005/6. Although the £1,344 claim was rejected by the fees office, Mr Austin was repaid for the move's legal costs in 2006-7. He was also alleged to have "flipped" his second home weeks before purchasing the flat. | Claim: The government whip attempted to spread his claim for stamp duty on his second home in London across two financial years. Mr Austin, MP for Dudley North, divided the stamp duty on the purchase of the London flat in March 2006 into two claims - £6,770 on 28 March and £1,344 on 3 April. As a result, he was able to claim nearly all his second home allowance for the financial year 2005/6. Although the £1,344 claim was rejected by the fees office, Mr Austin was repaid for the move's legal costs in 2006-7. He was also alleged to have "flipped" his second home weeks before purchasing the flat. |
| Response: Mr Austin told the Daily Telegraph that an error in calculating the costs of the move resulted in the stamp duty claim being refused. He said the fees office had advised him to split the costs over two financial years. Mr Austin added that he apologised for the miscalculation and no payments were received or made as a result of the error. | Response: Mr Austin told the Daily Telegraph that an error in calculating the costs of the move resulted in the stamp duty claim being refused. He said the fees office had advised him to split the costs over two financial years. Mr Austin added that he apologised for the miscalculation and no payments were received or made as a result of the error. |
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| HILARY ARMSTRONG | HILARY ARMSTRONG |
| Claim: Labour's former chief whip claimed £3,100 towards the cost of treating the gables and walls of her constituency home. | Claim: Labour's former chief whip claimed £3,100 towards the cost of treating the gables and walls of her constituency home. |
| Response: The MP for Durham North West says the gables needed correcting because of a problem of "hornets getting into the cavity wall". The work was "essential" to maintaining the basic infrastructure of the house, she added. | Response: The MP for Durham North West says the gables needed correcting because of a problem of "hornets getting into the cavity wall". The work was "essential" to maintaining the basic infrastructure of the house, she added. |
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| STEVE MCCABE | STEVE MCCABE |
| Claim: The Labour whip and MP for Birmingham Hall Green over-claimed £4,059 on his mortgage over two years. | Claim: The Labour whip and MP for Birmingham Hall Green over-claimed £4,059 on his mortgage over two years. |
| Response: Mr McCabe told the BBC he disputes the sum. He said he "did make an error", as he told the Telegraph. But once the Fees Office notified him of this, he sorted it out by offsetting against subsequent claims. | Response: Mr McCabe told the BBC he disputes the sum. He said he "did make an error", as he told the Telegraph. But once the Fees Office notified him of this, he sorted it out by offsetting against subsequent claims. |
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| BEN CHAPMAN | BEN CHAPMAN |
| Claim: The Wirral South MP claimed for interest payments on his mortgage that he had already paid off, the Telegraph reports. | Claim: The Wirral South MP claimed for interest payments on his mortgage that he had already paid off, the Telegraph reports. |
| Having repaid £295,000 of the loan in 2002, Mr Chapman continued to receive £15,000 over 10 months for the interest part of the mortgage which he no longer paid. According to the Telegraph, this situation was not unique to Mr Chapman. | Having repaid £295,000 of the loan in 2002, Mr Chapman continued to receive £15,000 over 10 months for the interest part of the mortgage which he no longer paid. According to the Telegraph, this situation was not unique to Mr Chapman. |
| Response: Mr Chapman says the Fees Office has informed him that the advice he was given in 2002 about what he could claim back on his mortgage was incorrect and he was effectively "misled". He regrets the error was not spotted earlier but that it was dealt with in 2003 when it emerged. He says he never intended to receive money he was not entitled to and stresses there is no evidence that this ever happened. He says he has done nothing wrong. However, he has decided to stand down at the next election because of the damage that the allegations have done to him, his family and his constituents. | Response: Mr Chapman says the Fees Office has informed him that the advice he was given in 2002 about what he could claim back on his mortgage was incorrect and he was effectively "misled". He regrets the error was not spotted earlier but that it was dealt with in 2003 when it emerged. He says he never intended to receive money he was not entitled to and stresses there is no evidence that this ever happened. He says he has done nothing wrong. However, he has decided to stand down at the next election because of the damage that the allegations have done to him, his family and his constituents. |
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| IAN MCCARTNEY | IAN MCCARTNEY |
| Claim: The former Labour party chairman claimed £16,000 on furniture and decorating his second home but repaid it all last year after the rules on what MPs could claim for were tightened up. | Claim: The former Labour party chairman claimed £16,000 on furniture and decorating his second home but repaid it all last year after the rules on what MPs could claim for were tightened up. |
| Response: "I personally decided to ask for an audit of my old accounts based on the new system. | Response: "I personally decided to ask for an audit of my old accounts based on the new system. |
| "All the amounts that I have claimed were with the rules and appropriate and had been approved. Despite the terrible flaws in the system I have done everything humanly possible to do the right thing." | "All the amounts that I have claimed were with the rules and appropriate and had been approved. Despite the terrible flaws in the system I have done everything humanly possible to do the right thing." |
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| MADELEINE MOON | MADELEINE MOON |
| Claim: | Claim: |
| The Bridgend MP submitted receipts for more than £4,000 on fur | |