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Staff ‘faced MP backlash’ for questioning claims
Nicholas Cecil11 May 2009
MPs leant on Commons staff for challenging questionable claims to furnish their second homes, The Standard reveals today.
Commons chiefs were warned that they risked a backlash from MPs if they failed to heed the warnings over the way that staff were disputing expenses claims and over other behaviour deemed inappropriate.
The revelations will add to the belief that expenses claims were at times not properly scrutinised.
Dr Malcolm Jack, the clerk of the House of Commons, was warned when he appeared before the all-party administration select committee that a number of MPs were unhappy about the way they were being treated by staff, including over their expenses.
“Members did not like having to explain their activities to junior staff of the House Service, for example when drawing on parliamentary allowances to furnish a home,” say the minutes of the meeting of the committee on 12 December 2006.
Given the shocking revelations about luxury items claimed by MPs including flat-screen TVs, designer sofas and expensive beds, Commons staff seem justified to have challenged politicians for what they were seeking to get the taxpayer to pay to kit out their second homes.
However, Dr Jack was also told during the meeting: “If Members felt that their concerns were not being listened to, there was a risk of antagonism between the Committee and the House Service.”
Meanwhile, senior MPs who run the Commons were warned not to attempt to keep secret future expense claims by MPs.
Labour MP Sir Stuart Bell, who sits on the House of Commons Commission, has proposed that a private company could be brought in to process claims made through the allowance system which allows MPs to put in bills for more than £24,000 a year for a second home.
Sir Stuart said that once the private firm was dealing with the expenses than the detailed breakdown would not be available under freedom of information laws, according to The Times, but they would instead be released in 26 broad categories such as mortgage interest and council tax.
Labour MP Tony Wright, chairman of the all-party public administration select committee, warned against such a step.
“It's almost unbelievable that anybody could suggest such a thing,” he said.
Reader views (9)
It has been very clear for a long time that Troughmaster General (aka Mr Speaker) is not up to the job. I find it scandalous that Commons staff were leaned on in this way - but they cannot expect any help from old Gorbals.
- James Elliott, Eastbourne UK, 11/05/2009 22:04
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Let us not forget our esteemed leader, TV licence, childrens' blind and 2 kitchens, one in Scotland, his home which became his second home, temporarily and his London flat, £16,000 worth. Just how did these expenses fall within the definition of wholly and necessarily incurred to enable him to perform his duties. There were kitchens there before, so illegal, and then we come to this fabulously well paid cleaner, gee what a gravy train.
The sack, but who to do that, and also prosecution, but then Smith will not sanction a prosecution of her boss, otherwise would, and should, be next in line!
- Hugh, Middx, 11/05/2009 16:36
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Just imagine the amount of money in the form of expenses, etc., that is being expropriated by other senior civil servants who can 'fix it' so that they can get away the expropriation and with not having to pay tax on payments in kind.
All civil servants who can claim expenses or additional housing should have their claims investigated.
- Eric Legge, Ongar, England, 11/05/2009 16:27
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HMRC should investigate as second homes are subject to Capital Gains Tax and MPS will have made big gains on Main residences when they were flipped also on second homes when main home was in constituancy. I have had to pay CGT why should they get away with it.
Al Capone was eventually brought to book by the tax authority in USA maybe the same will happen in UK.
- J A Norris, London, 11/05/2009 16:25
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Agree that the Speaker and Dr.Jack now be asked to account for their stewardship. Both earn more than Cabinet ministers and should be able to deal competently with MPs.
- Ladywholunches, london, 11/05/2009 14:04
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The speaker is one of the biggest snouts at Troughminster, the last thing he wants is his expense being look at or questioned hence is desperation to have the FoI rulings reversed, then appealed (£100,000 of our money) and then doctored to remove address meaning we would never have known about the 'flipping' and it would no doubt then continue as before. The man is totally out of his depth as speaker. As for 'Sir' Stuart Bell, I heard him on the radio last week squirming about this, his nauseating gibberish about 'honourable' members, their 'integrity' and 'hard work' what a complete load of horse manure! This man is as bad as the rest of the leeches. Criminal prosecutions should be made against the biggest 'benefits fraudsters' including Blears, Smith, Uddin, Thornton, McNulty, Maude, Moran, Straw and many more. This is fraud, whichever way you look at this, public money has been dishonestly appropriated for personal gain by numerous public officials and it's no defence to claim it was 'within the rules' when the rules were so lax as not to worth the enforcing. These MP's have abused their position and should not only be sacked, they should be removed from public office and charged with fraud, tax evasion in some cases and making bogus claims for benefits for which they are NOT entitled to. That's what would happen if they worked in the 'real world'. Michael Martin as Speaker has been a disgrace to the office and should be sacked without any benefits or pensions.
- Ed, Hants, 11/05/2009 13:20
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Isn't that called bullying!! If this is true then all expenses should be reviewed and all those claims for items not necessary for a MP to carry out his job be recinded and the money repaid. I don't need a house cleaner or a gardener to allow me to do my job, why do these leaches. Oh, and please don't tell me they are hard working. They clear off home on Thursday night, and have how many days holiday a year. Plent of time for dusting and digging there then.
- Alan, carlisle uk, 11/05/2009 11:54
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Surely the Speaker is responsible for this reprehensible state of affairs. Staff being leant on ? Unacceptable. He should face an inquiry, conducted by MPs but in public. Any MP found to have attempted to exeert pressure on Commons' staff should be punished.
- Peter Haldane, London, 11/05/2009 11:17
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It is about time the all-party public administration select committee had a new chairman and possibly new members. The chairman is such an innocent soul he probably still believes in Santa Claus.This once again proves that parliamentary committees are simply a sop to the vain egotistic sycophants that make up the majority of MPs.
- Sid, london, 11/05/2009 10:45
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