Whole cabinet resigns

[Ruprect]

Margaret Beckett

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...ole/article.do

Mrs Beckett was given a grace-and-favour home in 18th-century Admiralty House in late 1997 - the first president of the Board of Trade to benefit from such a perk for 20 years.

She is understood to have lived there for just over eight years, after the home had been given a £65,000 refurbishment. She then moved into Carlton Gardens for a year following her appointment as Foreign Secretary in 2006.

Derby South MP Mrs Beckett has claimed £106,000 in expenses for a second home in the six years from 2001/02 to 2006/07. She has also declared in the Commons Register of Members' Interests a flat in London as "residential rented property". Tenants are said to have included Labour MP Gillian Merron and a Home Office civil servant.

Don't worry - its all within the rules

[d000hg]

Don't see why MPs fiddling their expenses is such a big deal. In a normal job, it's considered 'fair game' isn't it? Can't blame people for pushing the system, should blame the system for being overly generous in the first place.

[Ruprect]

Darling also has his snout in the trough:


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6042171.ece

Alistair Darling has claimed thousands of pounds in expenses on his family home while renting out his privately owned London flat and living in a grace-and-favour apartment in Downing Street, it was reported last night.

The Chancellor has on a number of occasions swapped the title of main home between his house in Edinburgh and his flat in London, reportedly enabling him to claim expenses for both dwellings while also earning rent from his South London flat.

[Ruprect]

Jacqui Smith

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-taxpayer.html

Jacqui Smith has charged taxpayers for everything from a £2.50 toothbrush holder to a £104.56 patio heater – ostensibly to help her 'perform her duties as an MP'.

The beleaguered Home Secretary's extraordinary expenses claims also included a £14 doormat and a £369.99 flat-screen TV.

However, she is understood to dispute reports based on leaked receipts that she had also billed the Commons for a £39.99 barbecue and £334.70 for plant pots.

Why does she still have a job?

Kevin Brennan

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6036712.ece

Among MPs who claimed a stamp duty refund is Kevin Brennan, a Cabinet Office minister. He bought a flat in London in July 2007 and claimed back stamp duty of £10,200. “I was advised I could claim stamp duty by the authorities and did so for simplicity,” said Brennan, the MP for Cardiff West.

For simplicity my arse.

Geoff Hoon

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ived-free.html

Former Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon, now Transport Secretary in Gordon Brown's Government, lived rent-free for three-and-a-half years in Admiralty House, London, once occupied by Winston Churchill.
He used the opportunity to earn money from the London house he had declared to the Commons authorities as his 'main home' by renting it to a private tenant via a commercial lettings agency.
At the same time he claimed more than £70,000 in a 'second-home allowance' on his home in Derby, close to his constituency of Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.

They haven't resigned. Perhaps I should have put "placeholder for now"