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MPS EXPENSES CLAIMS ARE A BLACKWASH (From Thisisdorset)
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MPS EXPENSES CLAIMS ARE A BLACKWASH
8:28am Friday 19th June 2009
MPs’ expenses have dominated the news agenda for more than six weeks with shocking revelations of what our money has been spent on.
Senior government figures have resigned and MPs countrywide have been forced to explain their sometimes extravagant and embarrassing claims.
They have included huge bills for moat cleaning, a floating duck island and “servants’ quarters”.
Now, for the first time, details have been published officially online and, over the next two days, the Daily Echo is taking a look at what our local MPs have claimed for.
Among the claims are £5,849 for redecoration at Boscombe East Conservative Club, claimed by Tobias Ellwood for the room where he holds his surgeries and associated areas, £4,800 on food claimed in one year by Christchurch MP Christopher Chope and £336 claimed by Poole MP Robert Syms for tax advice.
Follow the links at the bottom of this story for full details on each MPs claims
WE went out on to the streets of Bournemouth to discover what you thought about the issues of MPs’ expenses across the country.
Terry Norris, 60, of Lionheart Close, Bournemouth: “Well basically some have been found out. Now I imagine they are really embarrassed about what they’ve done. I think the only way they can clear it up is to publish everything.”
Marian Freeman, a grandmother of nine, of Burton Croft in Christchurch: “We are absolutely horrified about it all. If it wasn’t for the Daily Telegraph we would be in the dark. They are not going to publish their addresses but then we wouldn’t know if they switch their second homes. It makes it a farce.”
Steve Hayes, 48, of Kingsbere Road, Poole, an assistant director of a housing company: “I think it should be fully transparent and open and I believe all public service people paid at the same level should do so. They shouldn’t be looking to hide anything.”
Vanessa Bacchus, 24, a retail manager of Barrack Road in Christchurch: “I think it’s really bad considering there’s a recession and they are spending taxpayers’ money on themselves. I was quite shocked there were so many of them doing it.”
Rosemary Calles, 49, a grandmother of two, of Wareham: “They are so out of touch. It makes me so angry. I don’t necessarily think they should have their addresses published though.”
Mary Jones, 50, a mother of one, of Poole: “There is no remedy in law. I’ve always been a big Labour supporter but didn’t even vote in the European elections. I really wouldn’t have a clue who to vote for.”
Related links
- See the claims in pictures
- Compare and contrast your local MPs expenses
- TOBIAS ELLWOOD: up to the limit in incidental expenses
- ROBERT SYMS: £300 claim for tax advice 'fair'
- SIR JOHN BUTTERFILL: £14,500 for new bathroom
- CHRISTOPHER CHOPE: £4,800 for food but 'we're good value'
- JIM KNIGHT: Hi-tech package 'was necessary'
- Your MPs' expenses revealed - well almost
- Bowled over again by expenses?
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Your Say YourDorset
magicmonkey, Bournemouth says...
10:11am Fri 19 Jun 09
butlincat, bournemouth says...
10:20am Fri 19 Jun 09
John T, Poole says...
10:31am Fri 19 Jun 09
nigel24, Bournemouth says...
10:47am Fri 19 Jun 09
Tobias Ellwood claimed back £9.00 for a room he hired at the Moordown Conservative Club.
In 2005/6 he claimed for carpets x4 at a cost of £1.960.00 and curtains for Landing and bedroom at £532.00 interestingly he claimed from the taxpayer £95.00 for Military Balance Book.
Go to www.parliament.uk and click on Additional Cost Allowance.We are paying for his Mortgage interest payments of over £2,000 a month,his cleaning,food,tv licence,Repair to a fence of his second home.Truth hurts,i guess this will be deleted but you cannot hide the truth.
SnakeskinCowboy, Weymouth says...
10:47am Fri 19 Jun 09
Gordon Cann, Bournemouth says...
11:14am Fri 19 Jun 09
Gordon Cann, Bournemouth says...
11:18am Fri 19 Jun 09
nigel24, Bournemouth says...
11:22am Fri 19 Jun 09
Tobias Ellwood.
01-04-07-30-04-07
Mortgage Interest Payment-£2,134.01
Food-£400.00
Utilities-£91.00
Council Tax=£178.00
Telephone-£41.00
Cleaning-£100.00
TV Licence-£10.99
Total for one month-£3,277.00 and there is more documentation of other claims.This is only expenses and you then must add his salary on top.
thesyrup1, Bournemouth says...
11:30am Fri 19 Jun 09
John R, says...
11:33am Fri 19 Jun 09
i can't take you seriously after that comment!
Whilst some things are criminal, and you are right that it seems alot Nigel24, at the present time all those things Mr ellwood have claimed are within the rules. and he didn't make the rules.
they need to be changed but i don't think this witch hunt is fair on him or his wife.
AKKA, Poole says...
11:33am Fri 19 Jun 09
Sam Shepherd, says...
11:40am Fri 19 Jun 09
John R, says...
11:43am Fri 19 Jun 09
you need to vote for a party with proper policies not just 'green' or just 'anti europe'. they wouldn't have the first clue on how to run the country, they won't win, so give one of the proper parties a chance - one which has proper policies and then we might get this mess of a country sorted out. Having said that, I'm not sure which one.
But voting ukip or green will do absolutely no good whatsoever to fix this mess we are in.
this is a serious point - people are forgetting the bigger issues when they sit ranting all day on this website.
and to nigel 24 - you know exactly why your first post was deleted and that's why you havent repeated what it was you said. it was unkind and petty.
nigel24, Bournemouth says...
11:48am Fri 19 Jun 09
John R wrote:I Think the word conscience comes into mind.While we have people losing their jobs and homes,Tobias Ellwood claims for food and Telephone for example.In one of his wards,Boscombe West,there are families who struggle to put food on the table.Its not a witch-hunt but peoples anger.A lot of what he claimed many people will never,ever be able to afford.Why should we pay for his cleaning.Why should we pay for his second home.It was his choice to stand and be a MP and his chioce to buy a second home.Let hiim pay for it himself and not the taxpayer or move back to Bournemouth where he would be closer and more intouch with his constituents.Regardl
John T - do you really think the people who run the boscombe conservative office have created this white wash!?
i can't take you seriously after that comment!
Whilst some things are criminal, and you are right that it seems alot Nigel24, at the present time all those things Mr ellwood have claimed are within the rules. and he didn't make the rules.
they need to be changed but i don't think this witch hunt is fair on him or his wife.
ess whether it was in the rules,it was subject to abuse as it was self-regulatory.Havi
ng a conscience cost nothing and nor does respect to your constituents but the claims are obscene and he should pay back money to reinstall trust in him.Other MPS' Who have said they were in the rules have paid money back.Hazel Blears for example.Bournemouth to Waterloo,108 miles by train.Now theres asolution for you.
Trophy1980, Poole says...
12:13pm Fri 19 Jun 09
John T, Poole says...
12:18pm Fri 19 Jun 09
I did not say that the people who run Boscombe Conservative office had created this whitewash. I was merely painting the picture that much of the whitewash was created there... by TOBIAS ELLWOOD!
nigel24
You wrote 'My wife cleans my house,why not his!' Give the lady a break,nigel!
Old Contemptible, Poole says...
12:20pm Fri 19 Jun 09
BIGTONE, POOLE says...
12:25pm Fri 19 Jun 09
Chris..., says...
12:37pm Fri 19 Jun 09
They are all wrong, they have lied to their constituents, and they have stole from the taxpayer.
Everything should be shown, no blackwash.
Oldalbanian, Bournemouth says...
12:44pm Fri 19 Jun 09
The Media has had its fun with all this and its time to move on.
Let's have a look at some of the journalist's expenses!
MoordownMarc, Bournemouth says...
12:55pm Fri 19 Jun 09
jeebuscripes, Westbourne says...
1:02pm Fri 19 Jun 09
cantique, bournemouth says...
1:05pm Fri 19 Jun 09
Fightingback, christchurch says...
1:21pm Fri 19 Jun 09
If Chope wants to be fed, let's put him in the stocks at Christchurch Castle and supply him with a range of rotten fruit and eggs courtesy of the local hard-pressed taxpayers. People like me who are so strapped for cash I have to buy the cheapest and reduced-price food in the supermarket.
Give Chope the chop - and I don't mean a nice lamb chop!
If any MP had any integrity they would resign and put themselves up for re-election - if they had the guts.
It appears our local MP only has the guts to eat thousands of pounds worth of food and then break his sofa by resting his bulk on it!
On second thoughts, forget the stocks, bring back the guillotine!
John T, Poole says...
2:04pm Fri 19 Jun 09
Oldalbanian wrote:And even more necessary,let's see the tax returns of the Barclay Brothers, owners of the Telegraph.They don't have a duck island or moat, but there own private island hideaway in the Channel Islands surrounded by the Channel.
Leave Tobias Ellwodd alone. The Media has had its fun with all this and its time to move on. Let's have a look at some of the journalist's expenses!
Never mind tax avoidance and whitewash, I suggest a proper investigation into their affairs would reveal tax evasion and (Conrad) Blackwash!
SnakeskinCowboy, Weymouth says...
2:04pm Fri 19 Jun 09
I think many MPs want the media to move on, but it's not as easy as that.
John T, Poole says...
2:11pm Fri 19 Jun 09
SnakeskinCowboy wrote:Of course it is our money that they are wasting, in the same way as the scandalous £16 million pension for Sir Fred Goodwin was our money.
@Oldalbanian Journelists work for private companies, they are not wasting OUR money... I think many MPs want the media to move on, but it's not as easy as that.
Where do you think the money for profits come from? Do you think that it grows on trees?
BobbyPoole, poole says...
2:25pm Fri 19 Jun 09
Oldalbanian wrote:Ha!! do you seriously think journalist's can cliam food as an expense if they eat it in their second home ?!?!?!
Leave Tobias Ellwodd alone. The Media has had its fun with all this and its time to move on. Let's have a look at some of the journalist's expenses!
LadyLucan, Rio says...
2:27pm Fri 19 Jun 09
John T wrote:@JohnT that's not the same thing at all!
SnakeskinCowboy wrote:Of course it is our money that they are wasting, in the same way as the scandalous £16 million pension for Sir Fred Goodwin was our money.
@Oldalbanian Journelists work for private companies, they are not wasting OUR money... I think many MPs want the media to move on, but it's not as easy as that.
Where do you think the money for profits come from? Do you think that it grows on trees?
People CHOOSE to spend money with newspaper companies. No-one chooses to pay tax. Plus, taxes are supposed to be spent on public services.
John T, Poole says...
2:45pm Fri 19 Jun 09
I hardly call spending £20 billion of taxpayers' money,part of which was being used to pay a £16 million pension to the main man who caused the collapse of RBS, providing a public service.
I choose to pay tax because:
(a) it provides a better public service than most private newspapers and
(b)unlike some newspaper owners, I would go to prison if I avoided paying it.
LadyLucan, Rio says...
2:51pm Fri 19 Jun 09
We're allowed to care about how they spend our taxes.
What private companies do with the money we CHOOSE to give them is a different matter.
Therefore calling for journalists expenses is like calling to see the expenses of the man who runs your corner shop.
It's not relevant to the matter at hand.
specialone, Bournemouth says...
4:07pm Fri 19 Jun 09
pbwinb,mouth, Bournemouth says...
4:15pm Fri 19 Jun 09
leary, Broadstone says...
5:16pm Fri 19 Jun 09
from the highest in the land to the lowest. The only difference is that when you are found to be making a false claim from a Government Dept YOU EXPECT TO GET NICKED.
billythereb, B,mth says...
5:33pm Fri 19 Jun 09
John R, says...
6:35pm Fri 19 Jun 09
John T wrote:John T - atleast we agree on something, about giving the lady a break. really unfair, she works her socks off up in London (i think they've got a baby now)and she doesn't deserve all this, think if this was your wife how you would feel (not you John T, I'm talking to Nigel 24 and the rest of you witch hunters).
John R I did not say that the people who run Boscombe Conservative office had created this whitewash. I was merely painting the picture that much of the whitewash was created there... by TOBIAS ELLWOOD! nigel24 You wrote 'My wife cleans my house,why not his!' Give the lady a break,nigel!
And John I don't think Tobias Ellwood created this whole whitewash now did he?!
I would love to have enough money to pay for a cleaner so my wife didn't have to, or for garden repairs if I was as busy as the mp's are, or for a new carpet or whatever - WE ALL WOULD!!! And you lot are telling me you wouldn't have done the same.
YOU ARE A BUNCH OF HYPOCRITES!
and before coming over all high'n'mighty you might want to really think about yourselves and whether you would have done the same - MOST of them (not all I know, but most) have not broken the rules they found when they arrived here....
.... and we ALL would have done the same. (As Leary says!)
it really makes me angry what self-righteous hypocrites you all are!!!
Also- as I've said before I heard Tobias Ellwood did really well in his public meeting - at least he was open about it - why all the fuss abuot him? I think he was quite brave inviting you lot to chat to him!!!!!
Also re the journalists thing I certainly think we should think about the BBC - alot of them get paid 6 figure salaries by who!?!? US!!
davep1, Dorset says...
8:01pm Fri 19 Jun 09
An example of a claim, this one by Chris Chope, which has had all the details blacked out
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John T, Poole says...
9:48am Fri 19 Jun 09
I hope come the next election, the pensioners of Christchurch turn up the heat on this charlatan Chope and turf him out.