You can read the story here about the skulduggery by Geoff Hoon regarding his expenses. Basically he lived in a grace and favour home in London whilst renting out his ‘main’ home and to boot claimed his second home allowance.
It gets worse. MPs are now allowed to claim stamp duty on the taxpayer funded homes on expenses.
A new handbook of rules for parliamentary allowances published last month states that MPs can claim an accommodation allowance for a second home either in London or their constituency. It confirms they are entitled to claim mortgage interest payments, stamp duty and legal fees, along with furnishings for an extra home
A poll by YouGov poll The Sunday Times reports:
More than four-fifths, 81%, called for urgent reform of the system, while only 15% thought the issue had been blown out of proportion by the media.
This is hardly the post-G20 headlines that Brown will have wanted this Sunday. Cameron sets out his solutions here, which are fine as far as they go but he has no power to implement his proposals.
What is needed now is action and leadership from the Prime Minister. He can’t hide behind another report on this sham any longer. As I have said previously, the three party leaders could sort out this farce, will a little help form the private sector, within days.
Brown would be well advised to to give this ruse his urgent attention. He may even score points with the electorate by urgently reforming MPs expenses and allowances.
Call it what you will, but this chicanery, deviousness, deceitfulness, underhandedness can’t go on any longer.
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It's pure theft and nothing else. Brown won't do anything unless start another committee enquiry.
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