[guide.chat] m ps expenses scandal
- From: vanessa <qwerty1234567a@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "GUIDE CHAT" <guide.chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2012 08:54:56 +0100
Expenses scandal: MPs block details of new expenses
The Speaker of the House of Commons is attempting to block the publication of
MPs? expenses that are believed to show that some rent their taxpayer-funded
homes to each other.
By Holly Watt, Whitehall Editor10:00PM BST 17 Oct 2012805 Comments
John Bercow has written to the expenses regulator warning him not to disclose
official documents that show the identities of MPs? landlords for ?security?
reasons.
Publication of the names, which was supposed to take place today, would expose
the extent to which MPs are exploiting a loophole in the rules that allows
politicians to rent their homes to one another. The loophole means that MPs can
still effectively build up property nest eggs at taxpayers? expense, despite
official attempts to stop the practice following the expenses scandal.
Sources at the expenses regulator confirmed that ?some MPs? were engaged in the
practice.
In a letter released last night, it emerged that Mr Bercow had written to the
regulator claiming that publication of details of MPs? landlords jeopardised
their security and had led to ?grave concerns? in the House of Commons.
?The processing of the data ? could involve causing unwarranted damage and
distress,? the Speaker wrote in the letter to the Independent Parliamentary
Standards Authority (Ipsa). ?I should be grateful if you and your colleagues
would reconsider such a plan.?
MPs' expenses claims rise by a quarter 06 Sep 2012
The MPs? fight to cover up the landlords? names emerged after Dr Julian Lewis,
a Conservative MP, disclosed in the Commons that freedom of information laws
were being used to bring about the release of the information.
Should MPs be forced to reveal if they rent out their taxpayer-funded homes?
He said: ?You?ll remember the long campaign successfully waged three years ago
to ensure that Members of Parliament?s addresses would never be disclosed as a
result of FoI requests.
?A number of colleagues from both sides of the House have approached me about
an FoI request that those colleagues who, unlike me, rent their properties,
should have their landlords names disclosed.
?There is concern that this could breach the security of MPs? home addresses.?
Mr Bercow acknowledged the concerns and assured MPs that he had written to Ipsa
because he shared ?the very real concerns raised?.
His letter states that the issues surrounding security are backed by the
Serjeant of Arms and the Parliamentary Security Director. It was not clear how
naming landlords would threaten MPs? security.
The rearguard action led by Mr Bercow has echoes of the attempt by the previous
Speaker, Lord Martin, to prevent the release of addresses on which
parliamentary expenses were claimed.
The information was subsequently leaked to The Daily Telegraph, causing the
scandal that led to the resignation or prosecution of dozens of MPs.
The former Speaker had to resign after fighting to keep information about
expenses secret, a decision that backfired following widespread public anger
when the data were finally released.
Last night, John Mann, a Labour MP, said the attempt at keeping MPs? landlords
secret was a ?return to the bad old days? and it appeared that attempts to
restrict transparency were ?beginning to creep in?.
He added: ?If MPs are renting from past or current MPs it is right and proper
the public is able to know that.
?There is nothing wrong with that, and there is nothing wrong in it being out
there in the open. I have no problem in MPs renting it [a flat] out but the
public is entitled to know that.?
He added: ?There is a way to get the information out to satisfy the general
public. The media will want to know if there are any scams going on.?
Ipsa was established in 2010 after the parliamentary expenses scandal. The
watchdog banned MPs from claiming back mortgage interest after a transitional
period which ended this summer. This followed concerns that politicians were
able to build up valuable property empires at taxpayers? expense.
Its initial rules banned MPs from renting properties from family members, close
business associates or ?an organisation in which you or a family have an
interest?. This was to help to ensure that MPs did not claim the market value
for rent from the taxpayer while actually paying far less.
The rules were later clarified to allow one MP to rent from another, provided
they were not related or married. It is thought that this rule was specified
following requests from MPs.
The Daily Telegraph has previously disclosed the existence of a ?property
merry-go-round?, with dozens of MPs renting out their previously
taxpayer-funded homes and immediately renting nearby homes, claiming the new
rental costs from the taxpayer.
David Laws, the Liberal Democrat minister, was forced to resign and repay tens
of thousands of pounds after being exposed by this newspaper for paying rent to
his boyfriend.
Dozens of MPs have moved into new rented accommodation in the past two years.
According to official records, Liam Fox, the former defence secretary, rented
out his home in south London in September last year, and is now claiming £1,900
a month to rent accommodation in London.
Chris Bryant, a shadow minister for borders and immigration, has rented out his
mansion flat in Bloomsbury and claimed £2,050 for a month?s rent in the last
period for which data have been published.
Recent figures showed that a quarter of Conservative MPs were renting out
properties.
MPs? expenses are rising again after the 2009 scandal.
The bill went up by a quarter to nearly £90 million last year, which means that
it is only slightly lower than before the scandal.
Politicians spent the money on second homes, staff, travel and office costs,
including dozens of iPads.
The total outlay for 2010-11 was £71 million, although Ipsa pointed out that
this figure was lower because of the impact of the general election.
A spokesman for Ipsa said: ?We are committed to transparency as is shown by our
regular publication of all claims by all MPs. We have a duty to balance that
against the risk of compromising security. We are currently going through the
process of gathering all the relevant information to get that judgment right.?
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