MPs face expenses changes (From This Is Local London)

MPs face expenses changes

2:59pm Wednesday 4th November 2009

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BUCKINGHAMSHIRE MPs look set to be hit if a major review of the expenses system is adopted.

The four MPs who serve south Buckinghamshire have claimed for mortgage interest, food, cleaning, gardening and tax returns – which today’s report recommends be abolished.

And a question mark hangs over whether any would be entitled to a second home.

Sir Christopher Kelly’s report says a ban on second home for Greater London MPs “should be extended to those whose constituency homes fall within a reasonable commuting distance”.

Some readers have complained that MPs are entitled to second homes while they have to commute in and out of London every day.

Two MPs claimed for mortgage interest, Wycombe’s Paul Goodman, for a second home is in High Wycombe, and Chesham and Amersham’s Cheryl Gillan, for a home in London.

They would have to rent or get a hotel if the report recommendations are taken up. Mr Goodman is stepping down at the next election.

Beaconsfield MP Dominic Grieve rents a cottage near Marlow and Aylesbury MP David Lidington rents a flat in London.

The report also recommends that MPs should no longer be able to appoint family members to their staff and pay them with public funds.

This will hit Mrs Gillan, who employs husband Jack Leeming as a part-time office manager/researcher.

As well as £59,079.56 mortgage costs Mrs Gillan claimed £8,450 food and £4,335 cleaning between 2004 and 2008.

She infamously claimed £4.47 for dog food, which she said was a mistake.

Mr Goodman claimed £5,750 for food and for £4,100 cleaning as well as items including a cot, stairgate and booster seat.

Yet Sir Christopher now says the £25-a-night food allowance should only be for hotels and cleaning claims should be disallowed.

Mrs Gillan claimed £998.75 for tax return advice – which should also be scrapped according to the report.

Dominic Grieve faces having to pay for gardening costs at his second home out of his own pocket as these would also be barred under the recommendations.

Apart from rent, his only other second homes claim was for council tax, backed by Sir Christopher.

Along with Mrs Gillan, Mr Lidington got the most media attention of south Bucks MPs when it was revealed he claimed for toiletries. He paid back £142.21.

He also this year paid back £12,000 which he kept in 2006 as part of a property deal on his second home. He was offered the cash to agree to new tenancy terms.

Mr Goodman said: “Many of the measures in Kelly are sensible. None of them, as far as I can see, will affect me substantially, if at all.”

Yet he re-stated his warnings that Parliament was changing for the worse and would discourage “ordinary” people from standing.

Mr Goodman said: “Kelly's vision remains that of MPs as a professional political class - just as I predicted earlier this year."

“The key question for the future of the Commons is: are MPs to be citizen legislators, who are free to work and earn outside the Commons, or professional politicians, who aren't - and are therefore part of a political class distinct and separate from those who elect them.

“It's well known that my view is that a separate political class is a bad thing, that this Government is transforming the Commons into a chamber of professional politicians, and that I don't want to part of such a future.

“This is why I announced last summer my intention of leaving the Commons at the coming election.”

Beaconsfield MP Dominic Grieve said: "I am committed to accepting Sir Christopher's report, what he says goes. It makes a perfect amount of sense."

He said the ban on him claiming gardening costs 0 £211.50 from 2004 to 2008 - was "absolutely miniscule".

The other MPs have yet to comment when contacted by Bucks Free Press.

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