As LDV reported yesterday, Lib Dem MP for ultra-marginal Taunton is appealing against Sir Thomas Legg’s request for repayment of almost £18,000 in expenses which Sir Thomas says were against the rules.
Today’s Times carries a leader column backing Jeremy’s appeal – here’s an excerpt:
Take Jeremy Browne, the Liberal Democrat and the first MP to confirm that he would appeal. Upon entering Parliament, Mr Browne removed equity from a London home that he owned before he was elected and used it to buy a property in his constituency. He then claimed against his allowance for the (now larger) mortgage on the London home. Sir Thomas has concluded that he should not have, and wants him to pay back nearly £18,000.
This is arbitrary justice. If Mr Browne had sold his London flat and bought another one, he would have been able to charge the full mortgage to his allowance. It is none of Sir Thomas’s business what the MP did with equity on his flat that was earned when he was not an MP.
Worse, though, it is retrospective justice. Mr Browne was not simply correct in principle to claim the money. He was actually given it. His allowance claim was submitted and it was accepted. To ask for the money back now is bizarre.
Mr Browne should win his appeal. Whether it will be politically advantageous for him if he does so, is another question altogether.
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7 Comments
I think Jeremy has a good case, although it gives me a headache whenever I try to understand it. Why is Legg so obsessed with this mortgage and yet has ignored all these other – much more black and white – instances of flipping?
@James: I don’t think anyone understands the inner working of Sir Thomas’ mind…
I’m fairly sympathetic, but can’t help asking the obvious question: why didn’t Jeremy Browne just get a mortgage on the property he was buying, rather than the one he already owned? Was there some technical reason that made that impractical?
Malcolm – I suspect it was to do with the size of the depoist and the rate of interest. In order to buy the house in Taunton he needed a deposit and the bigger the better to reduce the interest payments on the remaining equity (there’s a significant drop between 5% and 10% deposit, for example). He then relocated to Taunton and claimed the mortgage interest on the flat as his now second home, whilst paying the mortgage on his house in Taunton himself.
I think you’ll find that’s because Jeremy is a Murdoch a**e licker…
Jeremy Browne has been royally shafted. If I were him I’d want to punch Legg right in the kisser.
Message to Jo re her comment – Once again we are being treated to your utter cynicism about us all. If, as I understand, you are no longer a supporter why not sod off and talk to your new chums whoever they are!