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5p shopping bag and chocolate Santa Claus...
Mark Blunden08.05.09
A series of eyebrow-raising expenses claims by unnamed MPs are revealed today. They include claims for carrier bags, sweets and kitchen accessories - and even pet food and horse manure.
IKEA carrier bag: bought for 5p by Scottish Labour MP.
Chocolate Santa Claus: 59p - claimed in 2006 by a Welsh Labour MP.
Pizza cutter: £3 from the Bodum shop in Oxfordshire for a Tory backbencher.
Jellied eels: bought for £1.31 and claimed by an Essex MP.
Ant killer: £3.99 at Homebase for a north of England Conservative MP.
Ginger Crinkle biscuits: 67p, for a Labour MP in 2007.
Potato peeler: £4.50, for a Tory MP.
Cesar dog food: two tins of chicken and turkey flavour 78p, claimed by female Tory MP.
Illuminated Revlon make-up mirror: bought from John Lewis by a female Labour MP for £19.95.
Jaffa Cakes: two packs, at a cost of £1.60, charged by a junior minister.
Lavatory brush holder: £9.99, claimed by a male Liberal Democrat MP.
Horse manure: £10 a bag and bought by a Tory MP for his country home.
Maltesers: the 45p bag was part of bill from Focus DIY by a Labour MP.
Tampax: two packets, at £1.11 each, bought by male Tory MP who lost his seat in 2005.
Ice cube tray: £1.50 from M&S for a former Labour Cabinet member.
Kit Kat: £2.50, from the minibar of the Sherlock Holmes Hotel in London, for a female MP.
Reader views (9)
£2.50 for a Kit Kat! That's outrageous. You can get 8 for 99p at Asda. Whoever claimed that should be sacked immediately.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland
Call off the ' witch hunt ' against so called benefit cheats, in light of these expence claims by these pathetic, greedy MPs.
- Michael, Herts
#Neil Yates
Wake up, Neil. The Telegraph hasn't started on the Tory revelations yet. Why do you think they will make a difference? They voted against the government's proposals for change last week; they want to maintain the status quo. You should remember that their leader, Mrs Thatcher, introduced these rules and they are long past their sell by date
- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa, Spain
Why do we need so many MPs pushing papers and abusing the system at the Westminster while majority of the laws are now made in Brussels.
- Pt, London
Small consolation, but most of this bunch of self-seekers will be out on their ears next year. Unfortunately there will still be pensions to claim, and in the case of Gordon Brown, the huge cost of security will continue.
- Scotty, Cambridge UK
Thank God for the Tories - soon they'll be in power and this kind of thing will be over.
- Neil Yates, London, UK
Gormless Brown is now blaming "the system" for MP's grabbing buckets full of taxpayer's cash.
Gormless has been shacking up in Downing Street for the past 12 years and he has failed to listen to the electorate or to address this flagrant abuse by MP's of Joe Public's money.
A tin-pot autocracy has more credibility than the Labour Party.
SACK THE LOT OF THEM. CALL A GENERAL ELECTION TODAY.
JOE PUBLIC HAS HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe UK
Why on earth did the Commons autorities approve claims such as "Tampax"? The fact that the claim was by a male MP only makes it more ridiculous; by why on earth should I pay for anybody's tampax or dog food! They are all irrelevant anyway, since they have give up all their power to Brussels (where corruption is even worse!). A feel a tax revolt coming .....
- Beatriz, London
How on earth do they have time to be a MP if they remember to claim for al these expenses and have other well paid jobs.
- Adrian, London UK
