Alex has beaten me to writing up the result of yesterday’s vote, so here are his words:
News reports of last night’s self-pampering vote by greedy MPs offer a choice of two messages: either ‘they’re all at it’ or ‘the Tories and Liberal Democrats condemned Labour’. But the truth is that not all MPs – and not all parties – have their snouts in the trough. The truth is that of 176 MPs so out of touch with the economic woes of the real world that they voted themselves £23,000 a year for home furnishings, 146 were Labour. But none were Lib Dems. Zero. Despite desperate Tory spin, it was Conservative MPs who tipped the ‘trough’ vote. If the couple of dozen Tories who voted for luxury goods to prop their households up against a recession had voted the other way, MPs’ expenses would now be less shaming to Parliament’s all-time-low reputation …
And what of the Tories? To his credit, this is one of those rare occasions when Mr Cameron’s progressive rhetoric was matched by his voting record: he voted the right way, and told his Shadow Cabinet to follow him. Also to his credit, this time they did – most Tories actually voted the same way as Mr Cameron on a divisive issue, which is very rare indeed. But, though the Tories’ spin doctors are very effective and have managed to get an anti-Labour message into several papers on the back of this vote, the fact remains that glancing at the list of who voted which way finds yet another Tory split as a couple of dozen Tory MPs followed their greedy Tory instincts and pocketed as much cash as they could lay their hands on.
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15 Comments
I thought of the options available they all meant that the same amount of cash would be available just that the system of auditing would be more transparent.
Nick Harvey (who I’m not always complimentary about!) was very good on this. As for Peter Kilfoyle who claims he is self-employed – if that is so has he registered with HMRC as self-employed?
Its a disgrace that 33 Labour Ministers voted against this, and for Gordon Brown to stay away, was another example of a lack of judgement.
For those MPs who need to have a place to stay in London – whats wrong with them being given a rental allowance for a furnished flat? Oh, yes… they wouldn’t get to keep a valuable property that the tax payer has subsidised, once they step down!
Next time one of them starts bleating about the low turnout in elections, they should look to themselves.
“For those MPs who need to have a place to stay in London – whats wrong with them being given a rental allowance for a furnished flat?”
It’s probably a more efficient use of taxpayers money for MPs to be able to buy properties. There should be some provision regarding enrichment though that may be addressed by Capital Gains.
What didn’t seem to be addressed is the MPs food allowance which I can’t see any justification for. It would be reasonable if they were staying in hotels and had no cooking facilities but a second home means that isn’t the case. £400 a month for food is a helluva lot for one person – my supermarket spend is probably 1/4 of that.
At the risk of being contentious – how much of this is a reflection of the growing number of MPs coming from a background only of work within politics – especially within Parliament and seeing such an approach as normal.
“… for Gordon Brown to stay away, was another example of a lack of judgement.”
I hope Nick Clegg had a good reason for not voting.
Why doesn’t a Lib Dem resign and fight a by-election on the issue of taking the snouts out of the through? They really would ahve a popular issue and Mps would struggle not to adopt a 10 point action plan to clean up westminster sleeze
Does Hywel Moragn really feed himself on £25 a week? I’d dearly like to know how he manages that!
Well that’s my last months supermarket spending. Maybe I just had a lot of stuff in so been living off “reserves” but I hadn’t particularly noticed!
“What didn’t seem to be addressed is the MPs food allowance”
Well said Hywel. MPs already have probably the best subsidiesed food in the county at the Palace of Westminster as it is. If the rest of us want to eat during the working day we have to pay for it out of our salary.
Who are the Tories that voted this way on expenses reform?
Simon,
My understanding is that the food in the various restaurants isn’t subsidised. It isn’t run for profit, which keeps costs down. Those employers who keep a staff canteen, particularly in the public sector, do likewise.
Grammar Police:
“Who are the Tories that voted this way on expenses reform?”
http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2008-07-03&number=253
according to the daily mail – voting to keep their generous expenses were
Conservative:
David Amess (Southend West),
James Arbuthnot (Hampshire North East),
Henry Bellingham (Norfolk North West),
Brian Binley (Northampton South),
Sir John Butterfill (Bournemouth West),
Christopher Chope (Christchurch),
John Greenway (Ryedale),
Gerald Howarth (Aldershot),
Bernard Jenkin (Essex North),
Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove),
Eleanor Laing (Epping Forest),
Anne McIntosh (Vale of York),
Andrew Mackay (Bracknell),
Andrew Rosindell (Romford),
Hugo Swire (Devon East),
Sir Peter Tapsell (Louth & Horncastle),
Angela Watkinson (Upminster),
Ann Widdecombe (Maidstone & The Weald),
David Wilshire (Spelthorne),
Lady Ann Winterton (Congleton),
Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield)
Independent:
Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent),
Robert Wareing (Liverpool West Derby)
And the Lib Dems who didn’t vote:
John Barrett Edinburgh West LDem (front bench) absent
Tom Brake Carshalton & Wallington LDem (front bench) absent
Colin Breed South East Cornwall LDem (front bench) absent
Jeremy Browne Taunton LDem (front bench) absent
Lorely Burt Solihull LDem (front bench) absent
Menzies Campbell Fife North East LDem absent
Nicholas Clegg Sheffield, Hallam LDem (front bench) absent
Tim Farron Westmorland & Lonsdale LDem absent
Lynne Featherstone Hornsey & Wood Green LDem (front bench) absent
Sandra Gidley Romsey LDem (front bench) absent
David Heath Somerton & Frome LDem absent
John Hemming Birmingham, Yardley LDem absent
Charles Kennedy Ross, Skye & Lochaber LDem absent
David Laws Yeovil LDem (front bench) absent
John Leech Manchester, Withington LDem (front bench) absent
Michael Moore Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk LDem (front bench) absent
Mark Oaten Winchester LDem absent
Lembit Öpik Montgomeryshire LDem (front bench) absent
John Pugh Southport LDem (front bench) absent
Willie Rennie Dunfermline & Fife West LDem (front bench) absent
Daniel Rogerson North Cornwall LDem (front bench) absent
Paul Rowen Rochdale LDem (front bench) absent
Adrian Sanders Torbay LDem (front bench) absent
Jo Swinson East Dunbartonshire LDem (front bench) absent
John Thurso Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross LDem absent
Steve Webb Northavon LDem (front bench) absent
Richard Younger-Ross Teignbridge LDem (front bench) absent
Charles – my weekly shop this week came to £27 with a few bits that will last for 2-3 weeks or longer
However, even if my estimate is well out and my actual spending is £50pw then I’m still spending half what MPs get as an allowance to buy food ON TOP of their salaries and an allowance for a second home.
I’ve no issue with MPs salaries or the second home allowance (if something takes into account the capital gain aspect). What I can’t see is the justification for an extra food allowance (especially if this is untaxed which has been suggested)
I suspect the problem with these allowances stem from the unwillingness to get political unpopularty by increasing salaries.
Mark – it is suggested by the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers that the HoC refreshment department has a subsidy of £5.5 million
http://www.order-order.com/2008/07/how-will-mps-cope-with-76-days-of.html