January 22, 2008
For the last two years now the British National Party has been “ahead of the field” in bringing to the attention of the public the scandal of MPs claiming huge amounts of taxpayers’ money in alleged allowances and expenses – whilst refusing to disclose in detail for what the money has been claimed.
Although this practice is not illegal it is, in our opinion, immoral as we cannot see how such claims can reasonably be justified! Of particular interest to us has been an allowance known as the Additional Claims and Allowances (ACA) – sometimes referred to as the “Staying Away from Home Allowance”. This allowance was originally set up to reimburse MPs whose constituencies are so far from the House of Commons that daily commuting is not a viable option – meaning they have no choice but to pay out for meals and accommodation in London.
However, what started out as a reasonable solution to a very real problem, has been increasingly abused by a growing number of MPs. Many of these claimant MPs not only live within easy commuting distance of the House of Commons, but actually represent constituencies within Greater London itself. Indeed, we have “featured” some of the MPs concerned previously on this site.
The monies claimed, in many cases, are believed to have been spent on paying the mortgage interest, council tax, utility, phone, cleaning, maintenance and even grocery bills relating to MPs second homes in London. In short, it is our belief that many MPs have been abusing this facility, in effect ripping-off the taxpayer to the tune of millions of pounds per year and using the monies immorally claimed to fund speculative investment in London property!
Although previously ordered to make details of such claims public, Members of the House have been fighting tooth and nail to prevent such – even to the extent of attempting to get the Freedom of Information Act amended to exempt disclosure of their expenses! Unfortunately, for no few within the House of Commons – they have now been ordered, by the Information Commissioner, to make all such information public. – an order that is going to prove highly embarrassing for a great many MPs of all parties we suspect.
In addition, a similar ruling is expected in Brussels soon, in respect of MEPs allowances – which will mean that Lib-Lab-Con-UKIP MEPs, those who have so far refused to divulge the detail of their allowances and expenses claiming, may soon be forced to by law!
Although this practice is not illegal it is, in our opinion, immoral as we cannot see how such claims can reasonably be justified! Of particular interest to us has been an allowance known as the Additional Claims and Allowances (ACA) – sometimes referred to as the “Staying Away from Home Allowance”. This allowance was originally set up to reimburse MPs whose constituencies are so far from the House of Commons that daily commuting is not a viable option – meaning they have no choice but to pay out for meals and accommodation in London.
However, what started out as a reasonable solution to a very real problem, has been increasingly abused by a growing number of MPs. Many of these claimant MPs not only live within easy commuting distance of the House of Commons, but actually represent constituencies within Greater London itself. Indeed, we have “featured” some of the MPs concerned previously on this site.
The monies claimed, in many cases, are believed to have been spent on paying the mortgage interest, council tax, utility, phone, cleaning, maintenance and even grocery bills relating to MPs second homes in London. In short, it is our belief that many MPs have been abusing this facility, in effect ripping-off the taxpayer to the tune of millions of pounds per year and using the monies immorally claimed to fund speculative investment in London property!
Although previously ordered to make details of such claims public, Members of the House have been fighting tooth and nail to prevent such – even to the extent of attempting to get the Freedom of Information Act amended to exempt disclosure of their expenses! Unfortunately, for no few within the House of Commons – they have now been ordered, by the Information Commissioner, to make all such information public. – an order that is going to prove highly embarrassing for a great many MPs of all parties we suspect.
In addition, a similar ruling is expected in Brussels soon, in respect of MEPs allowances – which will mean that Lib-Lab-Con-UKIP MEPs, those who have so far refused to divulge the detail of their allowances and expenses claiming, may soon be forced to by law!
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