Duncan: 'I feel vindicated over gardening expenses'
Alan Duncan MP said he feels "vindicated" after the official MPs expenses investigator told him to repay just £218 of his gardening expenses.
The Melton and Rutland MP had previously repaid £4,700 voluntarily after public outrage at the amount he claimed for gardening on his parliamentary allowances.
Meanwhile, investigator Sir Thomas Legg – appointed by Gordon Brown to review every MP's expense claims over the last five years – has asked Harborough and Oadby and Wigston MP Edward Garnier to repay £3,700 that he claimed for gardening and rent.
All MPs received letters from Sir Thomas telling them claims should be repaid, that he needed further information for his investigation, or that their expenses were in order.
The ex-civil servant said it was reasonable for MPs to claim no more than £1,000 a year for gardening and £2,000 a year for cleaning – even though there were no limits at the time.
Mr Duncan's claims included £6 an hour for a gardener and £598 to overhaul a ride-on lawn-mower.
But because it fell short of Sir Thomas' limit, the investigator decided the claims were mainly legitimate.
Shadow prisons minister Mr Duncan said: "I feel vindicated.
"I received a letter from Sir Thomas and he said that I only needed to repay £218 of the claims that I had made for gardening over five years.
"I have already voluntarily paid back £4,700 because it was the right thing to do at the time and of course I won't be seeking to reclaim that."
Conservative MP Mr Garnier, recently promoted to shadow attorney general, said he would be asking Sir Thomas to reconsider making him repay a £2,796 claim for rent and a £920 claim for gardening.
"If he does not change them, I will of course accept his decision without demur since I have no complaint about the process he has undertaken."
Charnwood MP Stephen Dorrell revealed he had been asked to repay a "small amount" for a service charge at his second home.
Labour's Loughborough MP Andy Reed was unavailable for comment, but Conservative Blaby MP Andrew Robathan and Labour North West Leicestershire MP David Taylor both said Sir Thomas had not asked them for anything.
Leicester South MP Peter Soulsby and Leicester West MP Patricia Hewitt were also not asked for anything.
Keith Vaz MP, Leicester East, said that he was not prepared to say if he was asked to give anything back.
7 Comments
by Rachel Biddles, Syston
Wednesday, October 14 2009, 12:36PM
“How can this person say he feels "vindicated"!!!! None of them should be given any money for gardening or cleaning. The rest of us are limited on what can be claimed when travelling and staying overnight for work - why should they be any different.
In a time when so many of us have been made redundant and are struggling to live on benefits, finding jobs, paying bills (on one house) and accruing bank charges, these people's actions leave an extremely bad taste in our mouths. As far as I'm concerned they should loose their jobs and face fraud enquiries.”
by bumble, LFE
Wednesday, October 14 2009, 11:42AM
“incidentally I do a lot of purchasing for the NHS, each Item I order, I ensure is fit for purpose and suited for the job, then I check round and make sure it is the cheapest available (if there exists a cheaper product we order it if it will do the job just as well) it seems MPs approach it rather wrongly, here is what I want, I will purchase it and send in my claim. there exists no rule covering what I can and cannot spend on an item so why do i use my brain and order cost effectively... oh yes because it is the public that pay for each item.”
by bumble, LFE
Wednesday, October 14 2009, 11:35AM
“Does he not understand he would likely have been asked to repay more if he had not 'voluntarrily' repayed some already?? this would surely have been taken into account with deciding whom needs to pay what amount as it was a repayment not a donation to the house of commans (or rather the British Tax Payer). roll on election time”
by Nick Di Perna, West End
Wednesday, October 14 2009, 11:05AM
“These MPs still don't get it!
Shall we raise a collection for them as they've been so hard done by and victimised?”
by Dave Mowsley, Leicester
Wednesday, October 14 2009, 10:45AM
“They just will never understand the real world.”
by HM, Leicester
Wednesday, October 14 2009, 10:22AM
“Vindicated , I dont think so
Why do we the tax payer have to pay for your gardening costs
what value does it add to the work you supposed to be doing ?
There are a lot of us that claim legitimate expenses through our employers for justified costs incurred. But those costs that do not add value or do not form part of the daily job then these cannot be claimed
Why do MPs like Mr Duncan and Vaz think they can get away by being arrogant and above the law.
There is nothing special about you . lets face it you just put the oar in when it is an opportunity toi get some free publicity
Please can either of you put an articl in the Local paper . detailing work that justifies your salaries and expenses”
by Kulgan, Crydee
Wednesday, October 14 2009, 9:01AM
“I wonder why Bandwagon Vaz wouldn't say?”