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Now Beckett is found to be profiting from three homes cash loophole
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent6 Apr 2009
HOUSING minister Margaret Beckett today became the latest Cabinet minister to be engulfed in the "three homes" row.
Chancellor Alistair Darling, Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon and Mrs Beckett, who also attends Cabinet, were accused of renting out London flats while living in grace-and-favour homes and claiming expenses for another home.
All three deny breaching any Commons rules and there is no evidence that they have done so, but they faced calls to repay thousands of pounds they have pocketed for second homes.
Mrs Beckett was given a grace-and-favour home in 18th-century Admiralty House in late 1997 - the first president of the Board of Trade to benefit from such a perk for 20 years.
She is understood to have lived there for just over eight years, after the home had been given a £65,000 refurbishment. She then moved into Carlton Gardens for a year following her appointment as Foreign Secretary in 2006.
Derby South MP Mrs Beckett has claimed £106,000 in expenses for a second home in the six years from 2001/02 to 2006/07. She has also declared in the Commons Register of Members' Interests a flat in London as "residential rented property". Tenants are said to have included Labour MP Gillian Merron and a Home Office civil servant.
Mrs Beckett, who no longer has a grace-and-favour home, said she did not make money from renting out the Westminster flat, and was simply "covering costs". Her spokesman said: "Nothing has ever been done outside the rules of Parliament." She stopped renting out the London flat in February last year after losing her Cabinet post the previous year.
Mr Darling is letting a flat in London while living in Downing Street and claiming the second home allowance for his house in Edinburgh. In 2007/08, the year in which he became Chancellor, he put in a bill of just under £10,000. Like Mr Hoon and Mrs Beckett, he declares that he is renting out the flat. A spokeswoman for the Chancellor defended his claims, saying: "He's got to maintain a house in Edinburgh." Mr Darling is also understood to pay council tax for living in No11 and that the perk is taxable as a benefit in kind.
Yesterday, Mr Darling told the BBC that the recent stream of revelations about MPs' expenses were "damaging" to the Government. "We do need to get an outside examination of this," he added.
He spoke out after Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon was criticised for renting out a London property while living in Admiralty House as Defence Secretary for three years, and claiming about £50,000 in second home allowance for his home in Derby, close to his Ashfield constituency in Nottinghamshire.
Mr Hoon said he had done nothing wrong. He said he was advised to move into the rent-free Whitehall flat when he was Defence Secretary in the run-up to the Iraq war. He said: "I was told unless I went into secure premises I would have to have round-the-clock police protection at my home in London."
David Cameron has vowed to ban ministers from being able to claim for two homes. Lib-Dem leader Nick Clegg said it was "barmy" that politicians could benefit from such extraordinary perks. Lib-Dem MP Norman Baker urged ministers to repay the second home money.
Reader views (56)
If Gordon brown is serious about sorting this mess out he should get rid of Margaret Becket immediatly She should know how the ordinary man in the street is struggling to keep their homes... Her obvious contempt for peoples opinion is disgraceful
- Brenda James, gloucester, 15/05/2009 18:26
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SLEAZE . . . SLEAZE . . . SLEAZE . . . and these are the so called leading politicians in the country ! ! ! They are nothing but a blight on British Democracy.
On a brighter note, at least the UK mainland can be thankful it hasn't stooped to the lowly levels we have in Northern Ireland where we have terrorists in the Assembly in the form of DUP / Sinn Fein PIRA.
The sooner a General Election is called, the better.
- Eoin Mcgreeghan, Derry, NI, 15/05/2009 17:26
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What has the citizens and people of the UK done to deserve such a bunch in their parliament? Left or Right, New Labour or Old Labour, Tory or whatever, a lot of our MPs are just plain con menin suits with the gift of the gab.
- George, London, UK, 15/05/2009 17:26
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I love Mr Darling's comment "We do need to get an outside examination of this"...... Oh yes we do Mr Darling, the sooner this happens the better it will be for us the tax paying public. A message to all the Piggies with their snouts in the trough, you will be exposed and you will pay the price for your greed. We have had enough!
- Enough Greed And Sleaze, London, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Isn't it about time HM Liz came to the rescue of her 'subjects'? Call Brown in to Buck Pal, tell him that Parliament is being dissolved and an election called.
It's what we pay you for, Liz. DO IT!!
- Twizzle, Ex-Londoner, 15/05/2009 17:26
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As soon as UK politicians say that we are all cheating, liwing thieves I may start beliving what they say, until then I trust non of them
- Roger, UK, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Army barracks are too good for these freeloading MPs - put them in Tower of London where they belong and where one expense claim will do the lot of them. The only thing they deserve is a bowl of pig swill every day like what real pigs survive on.
- Jack, Aberdeen, 15/05/2009 17:26
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I thought she lived in a caravan.
- Eduardo, N London, 15/05/2009 17:26
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They are ALL at it, and I won't vote for anyone of any party already in the Commons until this is sorted out - so I'm effectively disenfranchised.
I suppose that the old mare Beckett, being Housing Minister, requires lots of houses to enable her to understand and carry out her ministerial brief!
The worst thing is that these crooks and shysters are utterly shameless about their behaviour and lack of morals, decency or honesty - yet they have the brass neck to think that they can order around the public who in percentage terms are probably 95% honest whilst these people are 95% rotten to the core!
Au guillotine, aux barricades!
- Outraged, Southwold Suffolk UK, 15/05/2009 17:26
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They're all making hay whilst the sun shines before being booted out at the next election.
- Mike, Herts, 15/05/2009 17:26
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MPs are far worse than benefit cheats. This is legalised BUT they of course made the rules. Disgusting.
- Emily, London, 15/05/2009 17:26
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This is now absurd. Westminster is supposed to the mother of Democracy. Now it is the mother of Sleaze. These greedy, grasping politicians abuse their position to grab as much money as possible and then enact legislation to ensure that it is not traxed!!! For everyone else, the Inland Revenue makes clear that all expenses - to be claimed against tax, must be wholley and exclusivly used for business - unless your are an MP!!!!!!!! One rule for us and one rule for them!!!
Oh and now we are being asked to bolster their pension and we are all going to have to pay more tax!!!!
One of the reasons that we are in this mess is that too few politicians have had any experience behond central and local government. How many Ministers in the current Government have worked in the Private Sector (excluding dodgy directorships and companies whoes only business is to "sell consultancy" to the Public sector). We have a public sector that now employs one worker in three - how can we afford this????
- Jeremyhelgin@Aol, London, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Thats corrupt ministers down, how many more to go? All of them I suspect. Now we can see very clearly why these cretins didn't want the public to know anything at all about their expense claims.
- Neil45, Gloucestershire, England., 15/05/2009 17:26
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Margaret Beckett, Jacqui Smith,Alastair Darling, Gordon Brown, they are all at it, snouts in the taxpayers public trough, just like the bunch of greedy pigs that these MP's are. Most people just thought that these greedy robbers were making the most of the taxpayers gravy train, but it is more like an entire rail sysytem of greed and graft. Rest assured the Brit MP's are not alone in this atrocious misuse of public funds, Australian politicians (and we have nine separate state and federal governments) are exactly the same and misuse public monies as much as they can. We, the taxpaying suckers can do nothing about it unless we change the rules about politicians pay and conditions, just like the politicians are attempting to close down the greedy bankers.
- Len, Perth, Australia, 15/05/2009 17:26
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here is another one. how many caravans is she claiming for as well. the sooner this labour party goes the better
- Christopher, london, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Mugabruin-Madoff/Darling need to borrow more money. Given the amount MPs have/are claiming from public funds, may I suggest that ALL MPs (since 1997) be compulsorily made to lend to the Govt, with a .5% return 400% of the expenses that they have claimed in respect of true second homes in London being bought and that the money starts being repayable in 10 years time with a redemption date of 30 years from now, and that every 3 years they make further loans to the govt, @400% of expenses on the second homes claimed, on the same terms. In respect of claims for expenses on their main homes, where they were living when stood for parliament the forced loan amount should be 1000% of expenses claimed.
Now that is fair.
- Hugh, Middx, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Is not democracy great.A few hundred MPs dictate to millions how much they get paid,what expenses they may claim,and when the millions disagree,nothing changes.No wonder non democratic countries want nothing to do with this so called democratic way.
- David, london, 15/05/2009 17:26
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It is totally unacceptable for these rules to be merely "changed" in the future. These "main homes" were bought and furnished by the tax payer and therefore the MPs are merely tenants. When they are kicked out of office at the next election these homes must be sold and the money returned to the public purse. They will all have their "second homes" to return to - also paid for by the tax payer.
- R.F., Yorks, UK, 15/05/2009 17:26
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This London accomadation problem can be solved at a stroke.
Get one of those floating hotels being used in Grimsby to house foreign workers.
Moor it outside the House of Commons, and scrap the MP expense scam.
- Cap, London, 15/05/2009 17:26
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I trust they have paid tax on the rental income
- C Jgood, London UK, 15/05/2009 17:26
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What a sorry bunch we have as MP’s! Margaret Beckett, Jacqui Smith, Peter Mandelson, Geoff Hoon, Tony McNulty, Alistair Darling and even questions now about Gordon Brown himself about his second home. A Labour minister would even sell his own mother for a fiver! No, sorry, that’s silly. He or she would lease her out and claim the money on expenses.
- Roger Mansfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Cap's is a great idea. Let's do it. And if they rent out their one and only 'real' homes, any profit to go to the public coffers (they need it thanks to the mal-governance of these politicians). All to be overseen by independent people who are neither cronies of the politicians nor in their purse. Let's have no more of this fox guarding the chicken coop attitude.
- Helen, norwich, 15/05/2009 17:26
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These MP's are totally missing the point. The fact that they "haven't broken any rules" isn't the point or that they are acting "perfectly lawfully", people are executed in China "perfectly lawfully" that doesn't make it right. This TOTAL misuse of taxpayers money must stop and it must stop NOW.
- Mike D, London, 15/05/2009 17:26
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On the 4th of June 2009 is the Euro elections, we the people can start hitting back hard a powerful message to Westminister. Only us,you, me can end it for these hypocrites forever. Vote tactics and end the three party domination that's failed this country and vote in new parties that will serve only the people and not for themselves.
- Joe, Swanley Kent, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Wow! Where will all this sleaze end? Its already lapping over the pavements of Klowning Strasse. So, will McRuin be the next person to be 'outed' by a Mole. No doubt the anti-terrorism legislation will be invoked and a great fat witch hunt will start soon.
Why doesn't David Cameron call for a 'Vote of No Confidence' in this wornout, sleazey government and demand an early general election to clear the decks.
- Uncle Vanya, East Anglia Area UK, 15/05/2009 17:26
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If i get a job in the private sector working away from home, do i get paid to run 2 homes? Do i get to buy bbq's etc and bill my company? Do i get the chance to rip anyone off? NO I DONT, yet mps get away with everything, how about we tell them to get real, and stop ripping of the poor old tax payers, maybe we would think more of them that way.
- Mike High, bridgwater, somerset, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Just remember all of you that on 4 May, its your turn! If all of you complainants who were cheated by Labour's 1997 promises of transparent government ending sleaze, get off our backsides and vote for anybody but Labour, perhaps, just perhaps the thieves in the government will start to notice. There will be comments about how the sitting government always does badly mid-term but they will have to ntske notice that they are facing another twenty years in the wilderness. At least in Major's time, the sleaze was in brown envelopes from individuals and not the wolesale abuse that we are now seeing.
- Colin Macpherson, Gramat France, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Don't MPs realise that they are dragging the whole parliamentary process down to the level of pond life? Few voters actually care about economic stimulus, G20 summits or any government policy. What we do care about is that the people charged with implementing these policies act with common decency and are not seen to be ripping off the taxpayer.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland, 15/05/2009 17:26
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If MPs, Ministers, Cabinet Ministers and Prime Ministers governed with the degree of concentration they use to fill in their expenses then we might not be in the mess we are in.
Every little 88p helps!
- Dave, London England, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Don't ya just love these trough-swilling little piggies!
We have to bear in mind that they are professionals you know. They care about the people of this country and are only doing their best.
- Ravingmad, UKplc, 15/05/2009 17:26
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The sooner that the Government bring in Section type housing for all sitting MP's the better. Those who live too far away to travel to Parliament should be assigned an appartment in a block of flats. This would also cut down on the costs of security for those MP's that need it, as only one location would need to be policed.
- Paul Bradford, Monflanquin, France, 15/05/2009 17:26
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it would appear that NO member of parliament is untainted
by the abuse of perks and privileges. but then what can a poor boy expect from the frenzied pack of self serving
'public servants', the last thing on their mind is to serve the public in the capacity they were elected to. sure, they'd have little time for such duties, what with dreaming up innovative and creative ways to claim all that can be within the letter, if not the spirit of the legislation. which incidentally they dream t up in the first place.
the public need to purge each and every 'honorable member' and seriously vet and censor all new prospective asspiarents for the job, laying down and entirely new, just and fair system, with rigid safeguards and draconian
punishments for abuse.
at least becket was only claiming a caravan as her second home.
- M.O'Brien, london.uk, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Hoon:
He said: "I was told unless I went into secure premises I would have to have round-the-clock police protection at my home in London."
This scruple doesn't appear to have bothered Jacqui Smith, who kept on officially staying in her sister's South London gaff even when she was entitled to the Home Sec's secure Belgravia residence. Was this puritanism, or to avoid the tax on benefit in kind (which weirdly doesn't appear to apply to fireplaces and fancy sinks).
- Guy, London, 15/05/2009 17:26
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So once again our self important , save the world PM, is too busy to be concerned with his nose in the trough ministers. Just how much of this blatent greed do decent English people have to endure ? i gave up and left several years ago because i was simply unable to accept the greed culture created by Tony B Liar and his venal wife, it proved to be an excellent move. May Andrew Gilligan long persecuted by Blair, for telling the truth continue to expose these over paid, underperforming thieves
- Mark Devries, Bangkok Thailandave up and left, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Are there any more scandals left from ZanuLabour?
We have two unelected "leaders" running our country - Mandelson and Brown - presiding over chaos in the UK and within their own specious Nasty Party.
The man who is responsible for all this - Blair - is about to become President of Europe - as powerful a position as the US Presidency. I fear for all of us.
- Ricky, Hackney, London, 15/05/2009 17:26
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They've all got their snouts in the trough. Their claim that their actions are within the rules is laughable and shows how morally, if not unlawfully, corrupt they are. Now they've been rumbled the best excuse for their largesse is that the rules they devised need changing. Its an absolute disgrace. Have they no shame?
- M D, cardiff UK, 15/05/2009 17:26
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In a few weeks time Labour MP's are going to raise taxes for all good hard working people of the UK whilst at the same time raising their pay & tax free allowances. Why? Does the common man or women in the street work less hard than an MP?
- Rupert, London, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Paul Bradford, Monflanquin, France is absolutely correct in what he writes and his view is supported by the fact that when MPs come to the Houses of Parliament for the first time they get allocated an office - they are not told to go out and buy one.
A travelodge could be build (or taken over, there is one nearby) to give them a bed for the few nights in the year that they are in London. There is no point in MPs saying they stay this or that amount of nights in London for our benefit, they stay the extra nights for the social merry-go-round and book the expense down to us suckers.
- Jack, Aberdeen, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Where's Keith Price of Luton to tell us what a great job Gordon Brown is doing? I mean, here we have a group of people doing very well out of a wealth creation scheme...credit where it's due, eh Keith?
- Escobar-Alop-Lop, Camden County, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Don't worry, you can vote them out at the next general election and then the Tories can have another go at robbing us.
meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
- Kerry, Purley, 15/05/2009 17:26
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No wonder this country is in such a sad state!
Our most senior authorities and "trusted" politicians (Cabinet Ministers etc) see NOTHING WRONG WHATSOEVER in effectively stealing from the taxpayer despite their high earnings!
Perhaps they should NOW all be forced to live on "minimum wage" (i.e. £5.73 per hour with the added benefit of an accommodation offset of £31.22 per week towards the cost of any second home that they feel they must maintain) whilst in office? After all, by law, £5.73 per hour is what this New Labour government state is ALL that an adult needs to live on!
New Labour's motto should be . . . GravyTrain-R-Us !
- Fraser, Telford Park, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Just because you 'can' claim for something, doesn't mean you 'have' to. I'm sick to death of all of them. None of them have any morals or conscience. Why us minions go to work to keep them, we may lose our jobs tomorrow and are paying through the nose for everything. I'll be voting for someone other than the big three next time!
- Sue, Orpington, Kent, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Sleazy rich socialists.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 15/05/2009 17:26
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oink, oink, oink, little piggies!!
- Ag, London Village, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Once upn a time, MP's were not paid. They served their country as a matter of duty(very oldfashioned). They would normally have either inherited or made their money so there was no imperative for them to rob the public purse. Further they had experience outside Politics either in the Forces or in business. Most politicians nowadays take it as a career from a very young age, probably because it pays them better than working in the market. No experience!. I except a small number who are dedicated to the nation.
- Michael, maidstone UK, 15/05/2009 17:26
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And yet, according to the polls, 30% of the population still intend to vote for the Labour Party.
I had no idea that there was so many of the electorate with clear mental health issues.
Vote for the "Anyone But Labour" party - punish the people who are punishing YOU!
- Silent Hunter, Stirling, Scotland, 15/05/2009 17:26
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I defended a comment the other month against Britain having the most dishonest Government in the world. I now believe Britain and its ministers fall into a close second place alongside MEP's.
It's second nature for ministers to be dishonourable, part of House of Commons and House of Lords insufferable mentality including charitable status that accrues them millions without tax. There must be a loop-hole for us all to become charitable trusts in our own right and kick the PAYE pitfalls.
- Sandy, Cambridge, 15/05/2009 17:26
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I did like Gordon Brown's comment that he had better things to do than worry about MPs spending taxpayer money on their expenses, presumably the "better things" are throwing taxpayers money at the economy instead.
- Bob, Cheam, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Why is no-one focussing on the PM. He has, after all had a grace and favour home in London since 1997 and yet has claimed thousands of pounds in second home allowances. Now, whilst we are all learning to our cost that he isn't the great economic miracle worker we were all led to believe he was, he can surely still count to one - which is precisely the number of houses he has. How can he claim second home allowance for only one home?
- Al, London, UK, 15/05/2009 17:26
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The government's own statistics indicate that in England on 31 December 2008 there were 67,480 households in temporary accommodation - i.e. families without a permanent home. How then can MPs justify three homes, some of which are heavily subsidised by us, the taxpayers?
- Alex, London, 15/05/2009 17:26
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I think MPs should be housed in army barracks,after all soon they will need protection from Joe Public.
- David, london, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Can I suggest Keith Price of Luton's response?
Probably along the lines of...Congratulations to Gordon Brown on having his team of dedicated professionals personally trying to re-start the domestic property market. It's by initiatives like this, printing Zimbabwe style Pounds and borrowing gigagillions of funny money that will ensure a bright future for the nations estate agents.
Meanwhile all the piggies feasting on the public pork makes the rest of us all feel sick.
- Ethan, UK, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Someone please pinch me, this must be a dream or is it a nightmare. Surely no nation on earth would tolerate such a bunch of hucksters and shysters as Nulabour? So why do we? Are we really such a nation of fools, well, apart from the lunatic 30% who still intend to vote for these criminal crackpots? Call themselves a government? They shame themselves and embarrass us. Get them out.
- Satnam Singh, corby, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Done nothing wrong !OK by the rules. Its comparable to sort of thing known as tax avoidance so often castigated by the INland revenue and Treasury. In other words you are not guilty of tax evasion eg not breaking any rules but you look for any loophole to reduce your tax due.
Same thing Gov!As long as its not said that you cant do it then its OK to do it! What a bunch of freeloader slippery customers these ministers are
- Peter French, Orihuela Costa Spain, 15/05/2009 17:26
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From the top downwards MPs all seem to me milking the system for all its worth for as long as they can. The messages Brown and his gang have already sent to the rest of the UK over bankrupt Britain are one thing but this is a disgrace and someone (no one left in UK to do it?) should put a stop to it NOW.
- Mike, London England, 15/05/2009 17:26
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Is it easier to put the names of those MP's who are not sleezy,It might only be one or two
- Anon, leicestershire, 15/05/2009 17:26
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