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Taxpayer to foot £1m bill for MPs' farewell
29.05.09
The 12 MPs who plan to stand down at the next election in the wake of revelations over their expenses will cost the taxpayer more than £1 million, it has emerged.
If the general election is not called until next spring, their salaries will cost more than £600,000 combined.
And generous "resettlement grants" will see MPs receive between £32,000 and £65,000 each on leaving office.
The MPs - including Tory Julie Kirkbride and Labour's Margaret Moran, who announced their intention to quit today - are also in line for gold-plated pensions.
The resettlement grant, which is payable at the next general election, is calculated on a sliding scale according to an MP's age and their length of service in the Commons. The first £30,000 is tax-free.
Tory Douglas Hogg, who quit after revelations about his moat-cleaning expenses, will receive just under £60,000 in the "redundancy" payout if an election is called after February next year.
Both Ms Kirkbride and Tory Christopher Fraser - who claimed more than £1,800 to buy 215 trees and fencing - will both receive £32,000.
Ms Kirkbride's husband and fellow Tory MP Andrew MacKay is set to get around £65,000.
Ms Moran, who claimed for treating dry rot at a home 100 miles from her constituency, will receive a grant of £54,000.
* The MPs who have announced their intention to stand down at the next election following expenses revelations are Michael Martin, Sir Peter Viggers, Douglas Hogg, Anthony Steen, Ben Chapman, Ian McCartney, Andrew MacKay, Sir Nicholas and Ann Winterton, Margaret Moran, Julie Kirkbride and Christopher Fraser.
Reader views (5)
The whole country seems to be in agreement about our disgusting MP"s,,no way should they be allowed to hang on until the next election. We have come this far surely we can make them step down now.
- Marie Lamb, stockport England
Still they continue to stick 2 fingers up at us poor mug taxpayers, WHEN WILL SOMEONE SOMEWHERE HAVE THE GUTS TO START LEGAL CHARGES AGAINST THESE CROOKS RATHER THAN KEEP PAYING THEM WITH OUR MONEY?
- Mike, London England
This is absolutely disgusting. So they've milked the system for everything they can get and then they get a pat on the back for it! Why is it that there is quite literally one rule for them and another for the rest of us. They should be punished for what they did.
- Jk, London
Everyone else in the country (except for the bloke at BT) are on statutory redundancy - 0.5-1.5 weeks for every year, capped at £350/week. Why are these jokers on such a marvellous package that jabs a poker in the eye of every hard earning tax payer?
No doubt you'll see them rear their ugly heads in the European Parliament or the Houses of Lords once the hubbub dies down.
Simple steps to solve this:
- an elected House of Lords
- bi-elections where candidates are forced to step down
- reduction in the number of MPS
- MPs paid the average wage for their constituency plus an adjustment for time spent in London
- MPs benefits in line with the rest of the country i.e. 4-5 weeks holiday a year, defined contribution pension (no final salaries).
- No freedom from their own legislation. (FOI, expenses, pension caps,....)
- Fixed term parliaments.
- Pay rises of 15% every time they are re-elected, so there is less incentive to dip into the pot.
- MP candidates selected by primaries, so you don't get stuck with a single MP choice for a given party.
- Finally, jail for all expenses cheats.
THIS PARLIAMENT HAS LOST ALL CREDIBILITY. It's no good dithering and tinkering around edges. We want action NOW!
- Da, London
If you can't do the job fairly and honestly now, get out NOW! Standing down at the next election, when you know darn well you don't have a chance of being re-elected, isn't fooling anyone.
- Marianne, SW France/London
