Comments on: Why does one Labour MP claim £80k more in expenses than another MP living on the same street? http://www.libdemvoice.org/margaret-moran-12790.html Our place to talk - an independent website for supporters of the Liberal Democrat party in the UK. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:30:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Andy Strange http://www.libdemvoice.org/margaret-moran-12790.html#comment-87637 Andy Strange Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:21:37 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=12790#comment-87637 Luton may be, as Alix says, neither here nor there, but is a fairly comfortable commuting distance from central London. It takes roughly an hour to an hour and a half. I know, I am doing it every working day at the moment. You don't need a second home to represent Luton at Westminster. <a href="http://processguy.blogspot.com/2009/03/why-does-moran-cost-luton-taxpayers-ten.html" rel="nofollow">I've written about this on my blog.</a> Luton may be, as Alix says, neither here nor there, but is a fairly comfortable commuting distance from central London.

It takes roughly an hour to an hour and a half. I know, I am doing it every working day at the moment.

You don’t need a second home to represent Luton at Westminster.

I’ve written about this on my blog.

]]> By: Peter1919 http://www.libdemvoice.org/margaret-moran-12790.html#comment-87423 Peter1919 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:55:31 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=12790#comment-87423 Julian, how exactly is MPs abusing a woefully lax expenses system not a real issue. It is exactly this kind of thing that has undermined public confidence in politicians Julian, how exactly is MPs abusing a woefully lax expenses system not a real issue.

It is exactly this kind of thing that has undermined public confidence in politicians

]]> By: Mark Pack http://www.libdemvoice.org/margaret-moran-12790.html#comment-87422 Mark Pack Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:55:08 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=12790#comment-87422 "It is really very funny that the only time that Clegg can get any press is when he witters on about how awful the expenses system is." Crikey Julian, someone must have slipped me a forged newspaper, rewired my TV to broadcast fake shows, intercepted my radio and infected my web search engine to fake an awful lot of stories in the last week then. Nice to know you've got such a weak argument though :-) “It is really very funny that the only time that Clegg can get any press is when he witters on about how awful the expenses system is.”
Crikey Julian, someone must have slipped me a forged newspaper, rewired my TV to broadcast fake shows, intercepted my radio and infected my web search engine to fake an awful lot of stories in the last week then. Nice to know you’ve got such a weak argument though :-)

]]> By: Alix Mortimer http://www.libdemvoice.org/margaret-moran-12790.html#comment-87420 Alix Mortimer Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:50:44 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=12790#comment-87420 Julian, Chris Paul asked for examples of Lib Dem rectitude. I provided one. Luton, as it were, is neither here nor there. Julian, Chris Paul asked for examples of Lib Dem rectitude. I provided one. Luton, as it were, is neither here nor there.

]]> By: Julian Gray http://www.libdemvoice.org/margaret-moran-12790.html#comment-87419 Julian Gray Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:41:44 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=12790#comment-87419 Alix, Luton is not in London. As Chris Paul says it might well be that Hopkins has no rent or mortgage to pay and is therfore only climing the running costs of the house. The fact that no Lib Dems in London claim the ACA has more to do with the fact that there are not many Lib Dem MPs than it has to do with their moral rectitude. It is really very funny that the only time that Clegg can get any press is when he witters on about how awful the expenses system is. What happened to real issues!? Alix, Luton is not in London. As Chris Paul says it might well be that Hopkins has no rent or mortgage to pay and is therfore only climing the running costs of the house.

The fact that no Lib Dems in London claim the ACA has more to do with the fact that there are not many Lib Dem MPs than it has to do with their moral rectitude.

It is really very funny that the only time that Clegg can get any press is when he witters on about how awful the expenses system is. What happened to real issues!?

]]> By: MBoy http://www.libdemvoice.org/margaret-moran-12790.html#comment-87394 MBoy Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:17:49 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=12790#comment-87394 Labour must be worried about this one if Chris "attack-dog" Paul is on the case. Nice find Mark! :) Labour must be worried about this one if Chris “attack-dog” Paul is on the case.

Nice find Mark! :)

]]> By: Alix Mortimer http://www.libdemvoice.org/margaret-moran-12790.html#comment-87385 Alix Mortimer Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:33:17 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=12790#comment-87385 Chris, you can start with the fact that not a single London Lib Dem MP currently claims a penny of the allowance. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23665700-details/War+on+greedy+and+sleazy+MPs/article.do Chris, you can start with the fact that not a single London Lib Dem MP currently claims a penny of the allowance.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23665700-details/War+on+greedy+and+sleazy+MPs/article.do

]]> By: Chris Paul http://www.libdemvoice.org/margaret-moran-12790.html#comment-87383 Chris Paul Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:11:33 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=12790#comment-87383 Could you bring us some examples of Lib Dem rectitude please Mark? On this particular example we'd have to know a good deal more about the two MPs circumstances to understand whether you have a particularly good point or are just making party political hay. Are you suggesting any wrong doing? Your co-franchiseists are also - in some cases - choosing to claim at the high end of this allowance. Can't you catch any of them looking a bit rum? Could you bring us some examples of Lib Dem rectitude please Mark?

On this particular example we’d have to know a good deal more about the two MPs circumstances to understand whether you have a particularly good point or are just making party political hay. Are you suggesting any wrong doing?

Your co-franchiseists are also – in some cases – choosing to claim at the high end of this allowance. Can’t you catch any of them looking a bit rum?

]]> By: Letters From A Tory http://www.libdemvoice.org/margaret-moran-12790.html#comment-87382 Letters From A Tory Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:52:07 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=12790#comment-87382 You have to remember that the 'second homes allowance' is considerably more flexible than MPs let on, as I explained in <a href="http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2009/01/17/keeping-mps-expenses-secret-the-true-extent-of-this-weeks-scandal-revealed/" rel="nofollow">a recent blog post on the subject:</a> ACCOMMODATION ALLOWANCE - this is designed to reimburse MPs for additional expenses "necessarily incurred in staying overnight away from their main home for the purpose of performing their parliamentary duties." If only. Under this allowance, MPs can claim for the "increase to mortgage costs (interest only) to pay for refurbishments" (i.e. remortgage their property to pay for a nice extension and get the taxpayer to help pay for it). It also covers sofa, chairs, tables, beds, crockery, cutlery, telephones, televisions, decoration, insurance, cleaning, council tax, service charges, all utility bills and legal expenses associated with buying a home (including stamp duty). MPs can also now claim £25 for every night that they stay away from their main residence on 'parliamentary business', which has not been explained or justified by anyone. Hopefully that goes some way to answering your question. You have to remember that the ‘second homes allowance’ is considerably more flexible than MPs let on, as I explained in a recent blog post on the subject:

ACCOMMODATION ALLOWANCE – this is designed to reimburse MPs for additional expenses “necessarily incurred in staying overnight away from their main home for the purpose of performing their parliamentary duties.” If only. Under this allowance, MPs can claim for the “increase to mortgage costs (interest only) to pay for refurbishments” (i.e. remortgage their property to pay for a nice extension and get the taxpayer to help pay for it). It also covers sofa, chairs, tables, beds, crockery, cutlery, telephones, televisions, decoration, insurance, cleaning, council tax, service charges, all utility bills and legal expenses associated with buying a home (including stamp duty). MPs can also now claim £25 for every night that they stay away from their main residence on ‘parliamentary business’, which has not been explained or justified by anyone.

Hopefully that goes some way to answering your question.

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