Ben Wallace may not be popular among some of the more traditional MPs on both sides of the House when he arrives back in London on Monday morning. Today's Sunday Times reports HERE that he has become the first MP to publish - in full - his parliamentary expenses. I hope many others follow his lead. It's public money and the public have a right to know how it is spent. The Sunday Times says...He lists more than 200 claims, including how much he claimed for a second home in Clapham, south London; how much “petty cash” he withdrew; how much he spent on mobile phone calls and office furniture; and how much he paid his staff. It includes his wife, Liza, who is employed as a part-time parliamentary researcher. All but two items are supported by a receipt.
You can see the details of his expenses HERE and HERE.
10 comments:
I'm too lazy to go through his expenses, but excellent work. Hopefully this will start a trend, and at the same time make it easier for axegrinders in other parties to savage the non-publishers and the non-receipters.
And about time too!
Us plebs in the real world have to produce receipts and detailed acounts for everything so why shouldn't MP's?
A small technical question - how are MP's employees paid? I assume normal PAYE & NI rules apply?
Hats off to Ben Wallace - let's hope his colleagues and commissioners take note!
ST
Well done Ben Wallace MP.
You may just about escape the purge that ultra-modernizers like me want.
And this is why MP's need a proper salary, so they are not dependent upon being able to dip into expenses.
I don't want to see our representatives in cheap clothes and shoddy cars, meeting their peers of other nations, decked out in fine cloth, stepping out of their limousine.
Separate the two spheres, pay them more as befits their position, and make them list their expenses (with receipts) properly, for all to see, on a website.
And if the state stops paying peanuts, perhaps there will be less monkeys on the benches too -- what is not to love!
We'll sort him oot behind the bike sheds, don't yae worry.
Good for him! This is the way of the future and he is a far-sighted man.
Cinnamon - They're already paid plenty. As far as meeting their counterparts who are dressed in sharp suits and upmarket limousines, well it's up to African voters to complain.
Refreshing honesty from two of our MPs
Ben Wallace served in the Scottish Parliament as an MSP and is basically adopting Scottish Parly practices with him to his westminster.
Everything from what books they have bought and individual taxi rides have to be declared in the Scottish parliament by all members. In fact, Im sure it was the declaration of certain taxi fares that lead to former tory leader david mcletchie's downfall.
sometimes you get some mundane claims like for doorstops... or funny self help ones like "idiots guide to the internet".
Also, he's braw.
This man must be praised to the roof in the blogosphere in order to push the other honest MPs to join him. As the pressure gathers on the corrupt, they may begin to listen.
Post a Comment