MPs ignore public anger
MPs have ignored public anger over the expenses system by quietly introducing new rules which allow them to claim up to £9,125 a year without producing any receipts.
The Daily Telegraph can disclose that MPs have devised a new scheme allowing them to claim a £25-a-night “subsistence” allowance when staying away from their designated main home.
The controversial payments for MPs have been approved despite widespread outrage at unjustified expense claims following the disclosures made by this newspaper.
The allowance, which is almost double the previous £4,800-a-year limit for unreceipted claims, is paid on top of expenses for mortgage interest, rent, council tax and utility bills.
It has been approved without any public announcement or debate in Parliament as MPs leave for their summer holidays. Instead it has been agreed by a small committee of MPs chaired by John Bercow, the new Speaker, and including Harriet Harman, the Labour Leader of the House and Alan Duncan, the Tory frontbencher.
In the wake of the expenses scandal, Gordon Brown and David Cameron both pledged to clean up the system of parliamentary expenses. Mr Bercow had campaigned to replace Michael Martin by promising reform and Miss Harman and Mr Duncan had both said that expense claims which were not backed up by receipts would be unacceptable.
However, the new rules state that “no receipts are necessary” for the subsistence payments and that it is “for members to decide” how the money is spent.
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Male, retired and the rest is of little interest to anyone. The site keeps me busy and if it helps others to stay abreast of daily events then my time is well spent.
Mac Says:
I expect their hoping the public’s usual “10 second attention span” will take care of the anger…
Posted on July 28th, 2009 at 11:13 pm