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Blair property comes under scrutiny
10 May 2009- Cameron urges voters to keep Union
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Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has been dragged into the MP expenses row.
Documents obtained by the Sunday Telegraph revealed Mr Blair apparently remortgaged his constituency home for £296,000 - nearly 10 times what he paid for it - just before buying a west London house for £3.65 million.
While there is no suggestion Mr Blair broke any parliamentary rules, he was able to use the system to claim for interest repayments amounting to almost a third of the new mortgage on his constituency home.
The remortgaged amount was enough to cover the deposit on the new London house, the newspaper reported.
Mr Blair is among the latest assortment of leading politicians to be embarrassed over their expenses activity. They include ex-Trade Secretary Stephen Byers, Cabinet Office minister Tom Watson and former Tory minister John Gummer.
One current minister, Kitty Ussher, set out a two page wish-list of improvements to her house in south London and merely instructed parliament officials: "Please pay as much as you are able!"
Another, Kevin Brennan, apparently had a £450 television delivered to his family home in Wales, even though it had been claimed on expenses for use at his London home.
Several others who have been the subject of previous stories have threatened legal action for supposed inaccuracies.
They include immigration minister Phil Woolas, who was accused of claiming for his wife's clothes and nappies, and Labour backbencher Margaret Moran - who allegedly switched the designation of her second home to a seaside property 100 miles from her constituency, and days later claimed £22,500 to treat dry rot.
Reader views (2)
Blair dragged into it? I have been waiting to hear what He has had? All MP's that have been involved present and passed over the last 12 years should be investigated.
- P. C., rainham. essex., 10/05/2009 09:18
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While there is no suggestion Mr Blair broke any parliamentary rules" Ha,Apart from lieing to parliament and the British public in order to facilitate a unprovoked attack on a innocent country and Drag the uk into a illegal war that resulted in hundreds of thousands of innocent people being killed and maimed!What ever dodgy dealings he and the cabinet have been involved in pales into insignificance compared to that,and him & his Government should be investigated for this before anything else.That is the crime of the century.
- Kev, London-UK, 10/05/2009 08:54
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