Allowancesgate: The puzzle of Gordon’s ACA claims

February 7, 2008

According to the records Gordon Brown was first elected to Parliament in 1983 for Dunfermline East. However, following a reorganisation of Parliamentary constituencies, he became the Member for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath in 2005.
One of Gordon’s “claims to fame” is that he was Britain’s longest serving Chancellor of the Exchequer – having served 10 years and 2 months. But it is about his other claims that we concern ourselves today, in particular his claiming of Additional Claims Allowance (ACA).
You see we have a bit of a mystery on our hands.Gordon was appointed as the Chancellor of the Exchequer back in 1997 and along with a nice fat salary appropriate to his new role, he also gained the use of 11 Downing Street or, rather, its plush top-floor apartment, as his official residence. It is claimed that as the apartment atop 11 Downing Street was larger than that at No. 10 next door, that he exchanged apartments with the Blair family.
Now prior to his “advancement” it is suspected that Gordon acquired a taxpayer part-funded flat in London – with which we have no problem, as daily commuting between Scotland and The House is hardly a viable proposition.Yet, according to a media report from earlier this week: “The Prime Minister is also facing a complaint over expenses for a second home. He claimed up to £20,000 a year for a flat in Great Smith Street, Westminster, for nearly three years, even though he had the run of a grace-and-favour apartment in Downing Street.At the time the Brown’s primary residence was classed as the constituency home in Scotland.”
However, an examination of Gordon Brown’s ACA claims from the period 2001 to 2007 does not, apparently, support the three years of claiming made in the media report concerned. What the record does show, however, is that during the six-year period 2001 to 2007 that Gordon claimed no less than £99,161 from the taxpayer in ACA. To be precise he claimed £17,017 (2006/7), £18,681 (2005/6), £20,285 (2004/5), £14,304 (2003/4), £17,688 (2002/3) and £11,186 (2001/2).
As no figures are readily available for the 4-year period 1997 – 2001 we can only conclude that Gordon claimed at least £99,000, and possibly considerably more, during his lengthy tenure as Chancellor of the Exchequer! And therein lays the puzzle – for what was this money claimed, bearing in mind that one of the “perks” of the job was the taxpayer funded “grace and favour” apartment at number 11?
More details of Gordon’s expenses and allowances claiming can be found: here.