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Thursday, November 14, 2013
New expenses scandal as one in three MPs use taxpayers' cash to rent constituency bases - from their own parties
Deputy PM Nick Clegg and Tory Jeremy Hunt are among 244 MPs accused of
milking the system to swell electoral warchests
Cosy deal: Nick Clegg
MPs have been engulfed in a new expenses scandal after funnelling more than
£3.6million of taxpayers cash into party coffers.
One in three MPs, including almost half of the Cabinet, have been renting
constituency offices from their party using Commons allowances.
Deputy PM Nick Clegg and multi-millionaire Tory Jeremy Hunt are among the 244
MPs who have been accused of milking the system to swell their electoral
warchests.
The cosy deals between MPs and their parties have cost the taxpayer almost
£180,000 since the General Election.
Claims would have been £178,120 lower since the election if MPs renting from
political parties had been charged the average rent from commercial
landlords.
Some 244 leases were made from a political party between May 2010 and March
this year, compared with 477 from other bodies or individuals.
Expenses watchdogs are now reviewing the practice after demands for an end to
the “backdoor subsidy”.
Jonathan Isaby, of pressure group the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “It’s one
thing if a local political party offers their MP and staff free use of a desk or
an office, but quite another for it to be sending taxpayers an annual invoice
for thousands of pounds.
“Often this is space that would not in any case be available to anyone else
on commercial terms.”
Mr Isaby added: “It’s effectively a back-door subsidy to political parties
that is exploiting an allowance meant to assist MPs in their work serving their
constituents, not boost the coffers of their re-election campaign.”
Rents have to be independently assessed if an MP signs a lease with their own
party.
The average lease with a party has cost £14,886 since the election, compared
to £14,156 where the landlord is not a political party,
Tories make up more than half of the MPs who are renting from their
party.
Nine Cabinet ministers are among 140 MP who have channelled more than
£1.6million into Tory coffers.
Another £1.2million has been claimed by 68 Labour MPs who rent from their
party.
And Nick Clegg is among 30 Liberal Democrats who have claimed more than
£600,000, paying £27,759.68 in rent to Sheffield Hallam Liberal Democrats.
Highest claims: Hapless Ed Davey
His Lib Dem side-kick Ed Davey has the highest claims of any Cabinet minister
renting from their party.
The hapless Energy Secretary has paid more than £43,000 of taxpayers’ cash to
the Kingston Liberal Democrat Property Co. Ltd.
Francis Maude, who also attends Cabinet, is the most expensive Tory. He has
paid £32,187.78 in rent to his local Horsham Conservative Association.
Other Cabinet minister renting from their party are Lib Dem Danny Alexander
and Tories Andrew Lansley, Chris Grayling, Sir George Young, Grant Shapps, Iain
Duncan Smith, Michael Gove and Justine Greening.
In total they have channelled almost £300,000 to their party since the
election.
There are 14 Opposition MPs who rent from the Labour Party Properties Ltd, a
business set up to handle the tenancies.
They include former Cabinet minister John Denham, who served at Ed Miliband’s
Parliamentary bag carrier, who has paid the firm £16,500 since the election.
The Labour leader is among more than 300 MPs who rent a constituency office
commercially. Another 75 have not had a taxpayer-funded lease.
His brother David Miliband paid £16,000 in rent to the South Shield
Constituency Labour Party before quitting Parliament.
Ten Labour MPs rent from unions and seven, including party policy chief Jon
Cruddas, have received political donations from their landlords.
Another row: Nadhim Zahawi
Expenses row Tory Nadhim Zahawi, the multi-millionaire tycoon who wrongly
claimed for his stables, has paid £9,000 to Stratford-upon-Avon Conservative
Association.
Nadine “Mad Nad” Dorries, who has also faced rows over her claims, has handed
Mid-Bedfordshire Conservative Association £8,163.63.
Lib Dem President Tim Farron has paid his local Westmoreland and Lonsdale
party £19,277.8 of taxpayers’ cash.
Labour MP Ian Murray has paid £5,847.74 in office rent to Nigel Griffiths,
who used to represent his Edinburgh South seat.
Shamed Griffiths quit Parliament at the last election he admitted cheating on
his wife with a mystery brunette in the House of Commons.
Mr Murray said that the constituency office was well established and that he
had looked around for something that was better value but had not found it.
All three main parties stressed their MPs were operating within the rules and
rents were set independently.
A Tory spokesman said: “IPSA is the body independent of MPs and Parliament,
which has responsibility for drawing up and running the scheme by which MPs
claim expenses.
“The rent MPs pay to a political party or constituency association for their
constituency offices has to be independently valued at the market rate by a
Chartered Surveyor, as specified in IPSA’s rules.”
Lib Dem sources said Ed Davey rented offices in expenses.
A party spokesman added: “MPs are elected to serve their constituents, which
Lib Dems take very seriously, so it is right that we have staffed offices to
carry out case work, surgeries and other services for constituents.
“These claims go towards the rent or mortgage, maintenance and operational
costs of the properties in which MPs have their offices.”
A Labour spokesman said: “IPSA is an independent body which has established
the rules surrounding the establishment of MPs’ office rental agreements and all
rental agreements have been approved by IPSA.
“It is important that MPs are able to have offices from which to serve their
constituents. Clearly these have to be proved to be value for money for the
taxpayer.”
Claims by Cabinet ministers renting from their party
:: Deputy PM Nick Clegg, Sheffield Hallam Liberal Democrats, £27,759.68
:: Chief Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander, Inverness East, Nairn and
Lochaber Liberal Democrats, £14,409.69
:: Energy Secretary Edward Davey, Kingston Liberal Democrat Property Co. Ltd,
£43,232
:: Commons Leader Andrew Lansley, South Cambridgeshire Conservative
Association, £21,399.08
:: Justice Secretary Chris Grayling, Epsom and Ewell Conservative
Association, £10,406.37
:: Francis Maude, Horsham Conservative Association, £32,187.78
:: Chief Whip Sir George Young, North West Hampshire Conservative
Association, £15,626.02
:: Tory chairman Grant Shapps, Welwyn Hatfield Conservative Association,
£18,000
:: Work Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, Chingford & Woodford Green
Conservative Association, £23,380
:: Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, South West Surrey Conservative Association,
£15,874.71
:: Education Secretary Michael Gove, Surrey Heath Conservatives,
£14,791.73
:: Development Secretary Justine Greening, Wandsworth Conservative Group,
£20,667.64
:: Welsh Secretary David Jones, Clwyd West Conservative Association,
£19,604
