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Boris Johnson has been ordered to pay back £1,266 of expenses he claimed while an MP.
The Mayor received the money for council tax in 2004/5, but the Legg investigation ruled the claim broke the guidelines.
Mr Johnson received a letter ordering the repayment on Tuesday and returned a cheque yesterday. It accused him of “dispassionate judgement of the rules”, something that Mr Johnson said he accepted in his response.
His spokesman said: “It was an administrative error over tax. We think it was because it was claimed retrospectively. It was signed off by the fees office at the time, but on review Legg has decided it was not appropriate and Boris decided to pay the cheque and get on with life.”
City Hall sources say Mr Johnson doubts the figure is as high as the one Sir Thomas Legg arrived at, believing it to be closer to £700, but thought it was easier to pay rather than appeal.
Reader views (9)
Never mind BoJo it`s just chickenfeed. I`m sure when you fly over to Brussels to speak up for the hedge fund managers or speak in Manchester on behalf of the bankers that they`ll look after you. Scum look after there own.
- Ian Nicholson, London, England, 15/10/2009 17:20
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a good few m.p.'s having to pay back expenses are for double claims on the same expence claim and all say it's an oversight/ mistake etc. that being the case they're inept an unfit to do their job. if they can't keep their own lives in order, then how can anybody have any confidence in their decision making, or ability to undertake complex tasks like adding up, basic subtraction,reading words more complex than cheat,and
writing; although one has to admit they seem to have grasped multiplication.
- M.O'Brien, london.uk, 15/10/2009 16:37
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Shame you had to pay it back Boris - you could have bought a couple of your new value for money Tube tickets - Zone 1 only of course.
- Barry Chapman, Welwyn England, 15/10/2009 15:12
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Wish he'd get on with his life elsewhere. Another Bullingdon boy with his rather large snout in the trough. You are a disgrace to London.
- Steve S, London, 15/10/2009 14:55
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Expect he can afford it if he's paid £250k by the Telegraph (on top of other earnings).
And now the bloody man is increasing bus fares by nearly 13%. I suppose Tories don't use them.
- Cole, London, 15/10/2009 13:23
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This man is not fit for public duty. How much has he claimed since becoming Mayor is anyone checking up on that? He must resign.
- Mick, London, England, 15/10/2009 12:00
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I am quite proud for Boris to be my mayor. He got on with the job while doing what's right. No one could be better for London.
- Graham, London, 15/10/2009 11:10
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Hang on! What about the £100,000 Boris claimed to pay the mortgage on his Islington mansion? Boris Johnson earns half a million a year from his various enterprises, and then gets a free hundred grand off the taxpayer!
If I get caught stealing from my employer I doubt they would accept my offer to "pay it back to save bother"!
- Stan The Van, London, 15/10/2009 10:46
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Good for Boris for sorting this out quickly and not making a fuss about it. He's a credit to this city.
- Fiona, London, 15/10/2009 09:53
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