Watford MP Claire Ward defends expenses claim (From Watford Observer)
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Watford MP Claire Ward defends expenses claim
12:59pm Wednesday 25th March 2009 in
MP Claire Ward has defended her decision to claim more than £95,000 in expenses to fund a second home – despite living less than 30 miles from Parliament.
Figures show Ms Ward claimed a total of £95,694 in Additional Costs Allowance (ACA) between 2002 and 2007.
The ACA – one of many lucrative Parliamentary perks – is designed to cover the costs incurred by MPs living many miles from their constituency homes.
Members can claim up to £24,006 in mortgage, hotel, insurance, cleaning, utility bills and repairs each year – an arrangement critics claim is open to flagrant abuse.
Claimants can, for example, use the allowance to pay mortgage expenses for rarely used (or unlived in) properties. These properties can later be sold and the profits pocketed.
Government Minister and Harrow MP Tony McNulty was pilloried this week for his decision to claim £60,000 to fund his parents’ home during the same period.
Ms Ward, however, defended her claim. She told the Watford Observer: “The reason I have a second home is to allow me to be able to work in Westminster, which includes a lot of late nights.
“I am a Government whip which means I tend to be in the house for longer periods than other MPs. My second home allows me to balance my work with seeing my family.
“I understand a lot of other people also work very long hours too but MPs often work until around 10.30pm at night. I often have to come back to the House very early the next morning.”
Asked whether taxpayers’ money would be better spent on alternative solutions, such as hotel accommodation of taxi rides, Ms Ward stressed the need to await the findings of an inquiry by the Committee for Standards in Public Life.
She also criticised the media coverage of the matter. She said: “It is unacceptable for the press to say MPs pocket all the allowances they are given. Most allowances never pass through their hands and go on running their offices.”
According to parliamentary figures other local MPs claimed as follows:
- James Clappison MP, Hertsmere, £79,963
- Mike Penning MP, Hemel Hempstead, £43,744 (elected 2005)
- David Gauke MP, South West Herts, £16,038 (elected 2005)
What do you think? Do you believe MPs should be allowed to claim such second home expenses? Let us know by commenting below.
Comments(23)
Muddy
says...
2:07pm Wed 25 Mar 09
Roll on the election
redhead
says...
3:00pm Wed 25 Mar 09
Molly Newman
says...
3:55pm Wed 25 Mar 09
The Observer should be investigating.
Sara
says...
4:14pm Wed 25 Mar 09
So if she sees more of her family at her 'second home' what she is really saying is that her second home (somewhere she refuses to identify) is her real family home.
So is her property in Watford just a home of convenience?
Tudor247
says...
4:15pm Wed 25 Mar 09
Bernard
says...
4:15pm Wed 25 Mar 09
Susie72
says...
4:21pm Wed 25 Mar 09
It does not mean I spend more time with my young family as they are in bed at that time of night.
gusgreen
says...
4:24pm Wed 25 Mar 09
Muddy wrote:But thats the point she does get it! Thousands of pounds of her constituents taxpayers money to fund a home,the address we are not allowed to know,whilst others in Watford are being bled to death by the financial policies of her Government!
They just don't get it, do they. while taxpayers struggle to make ends meet our MP claims £95,694 in allowances. Roll on the election
Paradise Watford
says...
8:03am Thu 26 Mar 09
EVERY single penny that these MP's claim should be authorised by an independant body and they should not be allowed to make spurious claims. They know when they decide to become MP's that they will have to work long hours and they should not use that as an excuse to top up their income.
I think the worse story of the lot so far is that Labour MP claiming second home allowance for his parents place which is only NINE miles from his own home. If THAT isn't fraud what the eck is?
michelle4171
says...
1:41pm Thu 26 Mar 09
Paradise Watford
says...
2:04pm Thu 26 Mar 09
Maybe the cost of petrol to and from work and for my leisure activities, a taxi allowance for when i'm too tired or drunk or cant be bothered to drive, a food allowance so I can get my lunches paid for and all my family shopping from Tesco's, a second home allowance so I can rent a flat near the office to go catch 40 winks (or other activities, nudge nudge), maybe a spousal allowance so that I can employ the other half to look after my desk at the office. Oh, and I definetly will be asking for a pub and restaurant to be installed downstairs selling me top notch food for next to nowt. Oh, and that reminds me a entertainment allowance so that I can invite my mates round for the barby to end all barby's would also be great and I wonder if they would mind if during work hours I went off an did paid work for another organisation?
Hmm, think not. Not really reasonable. So why is it reasonable for MP's to claim these too?
Harry H Hornet
says...
3:56pm Thu 26 Mar 09
leavesdenorn
says...
4:31pm Thu 26 Mar 09
Tudor247
says...
6:14pm Thu 26 Mar 09
Rob Ridley
says...
8:12pm Thu 26 Mar 09
enlightened one
says...
9:18pm Thu 26 Mar 09
Tudor247
says...
7:00am Fri 27 Mar 09
enlightened one wrote:So enlighten us all then on your understanding of a parliamentary democracy? Appearing to think a vote here changes the face of Government. Back to school with you, teacher Roy will help.
Voting limp dum won't get rid of this government.
SouwfLondonHornet
says...
12:24pm Fri 27 Mar 09
She should get her nose out the trough and actually do some work for Watford, whilst not having her tounge up Gordon Brown's backside!
Veritas
says...
1:03pm Fri 27 Mar 09
Later Dianne Abbott reported that some MP's feel they can ride the storm of disgust over houses/expenses, how mis-guided and out of touch they are. £60,000 a year salary is more than enough, especially with a huge pension.
The public disgust on question time took up a large part of the show.
Ward has got the cheek to claim £95,000, yet all outer London Fib Dems don't claim, its looking like Brinton might
be a cheaper alternative, Ha Ha. Bet you never though of that, your oponents arguments to get rid of you, are going to most appealing to the electorate. Ward, you and McNulty are a disgrace to your alma maters. I want to know where both her houses are, we don't nee the street, just an approximation.
crazyfrog
says...
12:46pm Sat 28 Mar 09
om notice she voted against a transparent parliament so she could keep her nose in the trough no doubt
How Claire Ward voted on key issues since 2001:
Voted very strongly against a transparent Parliament. votes, speeches
Voted moderately for introducing a smoking ban. votes, speeches
Voted strongly for introducing ID cards. votes, speeches
Voted very strongly for introducing foundation hospitals. votes, speeches
Voted strongly for introducing student top-up fees. votes, speeches
Voted very strongly for Labour's anti-terrorism laws. votes, speeches
Voted very strongly for the Iraq war. votes, speeches
Voted very strongly against an investigation into the Iraq war. votes, speeches
Voted very strongly for replacing Trident. votes, speeches
Voted very strongly for the hunting ban. votes, speeches
Voted very strongly for equal gay rights. votes, speeches
Voted a mixture of for and against laws to stop climate change. votes, speeches
crazyfrog
says...
12:51pm Sat 28 Mar 09
30-31 January 2009, to Berlin to visit the Total Hydrogen Station, to discuss hydrogen fuel projects. Flights, accommodation and hospitality provided by Total UK, Watford. (Registered 27 February 2009)
13-21 February 2009, to Kenya, as speaker at the Sigma Independent Retail Pharmacists Conference, accompanied by my husband. Flights, travel, accommodation and hospitality were provided by Sigma Pharmaceuticals (Watford), who received sponsorship for the conference from a large number of generic drug and retail pharmacist companies. (Registered 27 February 2009)
hempstead
says...
9:06am Fri 3 Apr 09
excuses excuses excuses.
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