Press Release: 13.05.09

13th May 2009
Gordon: “Anger over MP expenses scandal was inevitable”.

Local Conservative Parliamentary Candidate has welcomed the firm line taken by David Cameron over the abuse of expenses by MPs from all political parties.

The Tory Leader yesterday announced that members of the Shadow Cabinet will pay back expense claims that have caused concern – and he announced that a new Scrutiny Panel will examine every excessive claim by any Conservative MPs and decide if the money should be paid back.

Mr Cameron said:

‘Conservative MPs who have made excessive expense claims will have to go in front of that Scrutiny Panel and pay back the money agreed or they will no longer be Conservative MPs. It is as simple as that.’

Mr Cameron also announced a number of actions that will apply to Conservative MPs and will be implemented before Sir Christopher Kelly’s report on expenses:

1: An immediate ban on all MPs claiming furniture, other household goods and daily subsistence allowance. Only rent, mortgage interest, overnight hotel bills, utility bills, service charges and council taxes can be claimed by Conservative MPs.

2: Every claim made to the Fees Office will be published immediately online, starting straight away for the Shadow Cabinet and as soon as possible for all MPs.

3: No Conservative MP will be allowed to re-designate their first and second homes for the purposes of the Additional Cost Allowance (ACA) without approval by the Chief Whip.

4: From now on, anyone selling a home for which mortgage interest is currently paid for by the ACA must confirm they will pay Capital Gains Tax on it.

Today Mr Cameron called for the £10,000 “communication allowance”, given to MPs annually, to be scrapped.

Welcoming the announcement Mr Henderson said:

‘Public anger over the current MP expenses scandal was inevitable. I warned in a speech last year that people were fed up with politicians who have their snouts in the trough of public money.

‘One of the only MPs to come out of this fiasco with any credit is David Cameron. In taking such a firm line with his own MPs he has shown that he has what it takes to be a good Prime Minister.

‘David has asked all his Parliamentary Candidates to sign up to the code and I am more than happy to do just that, because I want to help him to restore the good reputation of Parliament.’