My Croxley - June 2009

Much though most MPs would like to discuss something else, I don’t think I can avoid addressing the issue that has dominated the national news and Westminster life for much of the last month or so – MPs’ expenses.

Public trust in Parliament and MPs has been severely damaged by the disclosures of the last few weeks. It is clear many MPs have abused the system and that the system itself is unacceptable. It is right that the existing rules are tightened pending the conclusions of the independent review being carried out by Sir Christopher Kelly.

People are entitled to ask their MPs about the expenses they claim.

I have never made a secret of the fact that I have claimed the second home allowance since 2006/7 (I even volunteered the information to local newspapers long before any information on my claims were formally put in the public domain).

I have also placed my expenses on my website for some months. You can find details of my claims at http://www.davidgauke.com/expenses/. I am one of the first MPs to provide a breakdown of my second home claims for 2008-9.

Some constituents have contacted me asking why I claim this allowance when South West Hertfordshire is within commuting range of Westminster. For many years, including my first 18 months in Parliament, I commuted on a daily basis. However, as my workload as an MP increased, I was finding it increasingly difficult to sustain this approach.

The fact is that MPs do work unusual and long hours. For example, in the last three weeks in which Parliament has sat, I have left Westminster having finished work at 11.45pm, 11.30pm, 11pm (twice), 10.50pm and 10.30pm (twice). On some of these days I have been at my desk at 7.45am.

I know that many of my constituents living in Croxley also work long hours and commute to London. However, if offered an allowance to pay for a London flat, I think most people working those hours would make use of it. Equally, I think most people would not be extravagant.

My second home is a one bedroom flat in Lambeth which I have mostly furnished with second hand furniture for which I did not seek reimbursement. My total expenditure claimed for equipping the flat was less than £2,400. I have never claimed the maximum allowance and I have not claimed for food, gardening (not altogether surprising, given the absence of a garden), cleaning, redecorations or renovations. I have claimed for a plumbers’ fee to repair a broken down boiler. My claims have not been highlighted in The Daily Telegraph.

It is also worth mentioning that in the last full year for which the figures are available, I was in the 10% least expensive MPs in terms of overall expenses claimed and the least expensive in Hertfordshire.

I think most MPs fully understand the public disquiet as to the recent revelations and recognise that it is the duty of all MPs to try to restore the public’s trust in ourselves and Parliament. It is right that we are much more transparent as to our claims, wrongdoers are punished and our allowances system fundamentally reformed.

But at the very least, MPs must be open and honest with their constituents, which is why I have addressed the issue head on in this article.