This is where your tax goes...................!

[grumpyoldb]

Here is a breakdown of expenses claims by the Prime Minister and main Cabinet ministers, as disclosed by a national newspaper.



Politicians claimed thousands of pounds in expenses

All figures were compiled by The Daily Telegraph.



Prime Minister Gordon Brown

Flat in Westminster:
:: £650 a month - Costs included mortgage interest payments, utility bills, council tax, telephone expenses and television license.
:: £241.30 a month, later increased to £262 between 2004 and 2006 - Cleaning services, paid to his brother Andrew, amounting to £6,577.
:: £15 - Light bulbs.
:: £265 - Vacuum cleaner.
:: £9,000 - Ikea kitchen.
:: Also sent in receipts for wallpaper, a fridge, floor tiles, food, Sky TV subscription, dry cleaning and newspaper bills.

House in Fife:
:: £10.50 per hour - Cleaner.
:: £1,500 per year - Gardener.
:: £352 - To Rentokil to deal with an infestation of mice.
:: £153 - Plumbing (submitted twice).


Alistair Darling

Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling
Changed 'main home' four times in four years:

Flat in London:
:: £2,260 - Stamp duty.
:: £1,238 - Legal fees.
:: £2,074 - Furniture.
:: £2,339 - Carpeting.
:: £300 a month - Food.

Home in Edinburgh:
:: £1,200 a month - Council tax and mortgage.


Secretary of State for Transport Geoff Hoon

Home in Derbyshire (Claimed between 2004-2006):
:: Renovations, refurbishings, redecoration, re-carpeting, LCD television.
:: Cleaning and gardening bills.
:: £400 a month - Groceries.

Townhouse in London:
:: £900 a month - Monthly mortgage payments.
:: £500 - Flooring.
:: Wardrobe, lighting, washing machine, bedroom furniture.
:: £449 - Television (2nd one claimed in two years).
:: £800 - Cleaning of curtains and carpets.



Foreign Secretary David Miliband

House in South Shields (Over five years):
:: £30,000 - Repairs, decoration, furnishings.
:: £100-£200 - Food.
:: £180 - Over three months for garden plants, etc.
Claims rejected in 2005 for £199 for pram and £80 for 'baby essentials'
:: £412 - handcrafted chair, goose-down duvet and chenille throw from M&S.
:: £450 - 'Gatsby' John Lewis sofa.
:: Washing machine, tumble dryer.
:: £9,000 - Cost of kitchen in 2005, plus claims for garage doors, insulation, tiling and new garage roof.
:: £6,000 - Repairs to front drive and boundary wall.



Justice Secretary Jack Straw

Home in Blackburn:
:: £807-£943 per year - Council tax since 2004 (only paid half to local authority).
:: New kitchen, central heating system, two new beds, LCD television.
:: £1,300 - Redecoration.
:: £3,635 - New bathroom.
:: £2,000 - Garage doors.



Communities Secretary Hazel Blears
Claimed for three properties in one year, plus time in a London hotel

House in Salford (March 2004):
:: £850 - Television and video recorder from Selfridges.
:: £651 - Mattress from M&S.
:: £300 per month - Mortgage.

Flat in Kennington, South London (April 2004):
:: £850 per month - Mortgage.

Flat in London (December 2004):
:: £1,000 per month - Mortgage.
:: £400 per month - Groceries.
:: £4,874 - Furniture.
:: £899 - New bed.
:: £913 - New TV (2nd to be bought in a year).
:: £668 - Bed linen.
:: £439 - Crockery and kitchen equipment.
:: £200 - Bath towels.


Business Secretary Lord Mandelson

Home in Hartlepool:
:: £3,000 - Renovation work on house before selling it at profit of £136,000, including:
:: £1,350 - Decorator's bill.
:: £1,500 - Gardener's bill.
:: £385 - Work on roof of house and bathroom.

Other claims:
:: £450 for two months - Food.
:: £100 per month - Newspapers.
:: £150 - Cleaning.

Minister for State for Housing and Planning Margaret Beckett

:: £72,537 - Constituency home over four years, despite having no mortgage or rent to pay.

Flat in London:
:: £1,480 - Comet larder fridge, freezer dishwasher, dryer and washing machine.
:: £3,250 - Food.
:: £1,000 - Interior decoration.
:: £4,753 - Conversion of bedroom to study, wheelie bin store, new floor in lounge.
:: £2,198 - Interior and exterior work.
:: £3,313 - Rewiring, replacement radiators and carpentry.
:: £3,155 - New boiler.


Culture Secretary Andy Burnham

Flat in London:
:: £16, 500 - To buy and renovate, including:
:: £1,845 - New kitchen.
:: £822 - Legal fees.
:: £2,150 - Stamp duty.
:: £119.48 - Items from Ikea, reduced to £99.49 after claim for £19.99 bath robe was rejected.


Former deputy prime minister John Prescott

Home in Hull:
:: £6,772 - Repair work, including replacing sash windows and £312 for exterior Mock Tudor beams.
:: £1,187 - Exterior painting.
:: £609.92 - White goods, including new washing machine.
:: £210.79 - Bathroom pipework and tap repairs, toilet seat repair.
:: £112,52 - Another toilet seat repair two years later.
:: £2,479 - Rewiring of office area.
:: £580 - Carpet.
:: £2,076 - Decoration.
:: £658 - Drainage repairs.
:: £4,800 - Maximum food allowance for 04-05 and 06-07.
:: £3,200 - Food during 05-06 and 07-08.

Flat in London:
:: £19,225 - one year's mortgage interest payments.


Europe Minister Caroline Flint

Flat in London:
:: £14,553 - Solicitors fees and stamp duty.
:: £3,668 a year - Ground rent and service charges.
:: £162,16 - Boiler.
:: £123 - Washing machine repair.


Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy

House in Westminster:
:: £3,419 - New plumbing system.
:: £2,336 - Freehold purchase arrangement fees.
:: £1,799 - Stamp duty.
:: £390 per month - Mortgage interest payments.
:: £687 - Annual service charges.

Regular claims for decoration costs and furniture, including:
:: £35 - Lavatory roll holder.
:: £537 - Oven.
:: £1,674 - Carpet.
:: £605 - Television.
:: £499 - Sound system.
:: £1,98 - Light bulbs.
:: £6 - Vacuum cleaner dust bags.
:: £6 - Tin opener.
:: £200-£300 per month - Food.

Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward

Flat in London (one of seven properties he owns):
:: £23,083 - Mortgage interest and council tax in 2007-08.

Regular office expenses:
:: £7.18 per tin - Family Circle biscuits.
:: £11,22 per tin - Gold Blend coffee.
:: £3,85 - Tetley tea bags.
:: £12,56 per case - Diet Coke.
:: Newspapers and magazines.

Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander

House in Renfrewshire:
:: £1,340 - Food for a year.
:: £550 - Bedding.
:: £69 - CD player.
:: £210 - Painting.
:: £830- Carpet.
:: £928 - Chimney relined.
:: £420 - Garage doors.

 

[shiny_arse]

Now can anyone show us the same type of thing based on JPA Expenses statistics.........no I didn't think so.

It really does beggar belief - but hey thats why you vote for MPs and that's why they do such a terrific job for us and the country!!!!!!!!DT_Xtremez_34:

 

[sparks will fly]

Bloody disgrace what a bunch of Dick Turpins. Imagine what that extra money could fund

 

[Boots]

I want everyone to stop calling these things expenses. Expenses are a consideration for a work related expenditure. This is like getting shares in costa, not a coffee at the train station.

Here’s an interesting angle. What about the money these people have made by undoubtedly selling on the aforementioned essential items after their serviceable life is up, (i.e. the green book says they're due a new one,) bet those monies weren’t returned the coiffeurs. Fiddling swines!

Do they own the goods, or are they the property of the state?

 

[techie_tubby]

And today i had to fight tooth and nail with a Cpl in PSF just to get a £30 petrol claim!! Makes me sick. They say they are acting within the law and that's what's wrong!! The rules need to change, not the practices.

 

[Gingerburd]

nice work if you can get it, i'm in the wrong job, I have to beg for a taxi home on a bank holiday grumble grumble

 

[Ex-Bay]

I can understand claiming for hep with Rent, Taxes & dues on a London flat/house/whatever, but I fail to understand how someone can honestly claim for a new TV for that dwelling.

For example:-

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears
Claimed for three properties in one year, plus time in a London hotel

House in Salford (March 2004):
:: £850 - Television and video recorder from Selfridges.
:: £651 - Mattress from M&S.
:: £300 per month - Mortgage.

Why are we paying for her new mattress and a new TV/Video at her home ?

It's obscene.

 

[GD on Wheels]

And today i had to fight tooth and nail with a Cpl in PSF just to get a £30 petrol claim!! Makes me sick. They say they are acting within the law and that's what's wrong!! The rules need to change, not the practices.

The thing is these ****** Make the rules, so they make sure they don't break them.

 

[Ex-Bay]

I see from this morning's Telegraph that one (male) MP claimed for Tampons.
Makes one wonder, what ?

 

[Chilliboy]

The thing is these ****** Make the rules, so they make sure they don't break them.

They are breaking the rules. The Additional Costs Allowance is to compensate the MPs for necessary costs incurred due to having to run a second home near Parliament. It allows them to claim for the costs of running a home and repairs NOT renovations. The Green Book also stipulates quite clearly that any claims are to be for costs incurred by the MP in the pursuance of their Parliamentary duties NOT their families.

 

[firestorm]

I think its hilarious that the opposition politicians aren't jumping all over this major scandal for one simple reason.....
.....they're at it too.

Scum, the lot of them. Send in Guido Fawkes, he had the right idea.

 

[Tin basher]

Former deputy prime minister John Prescott :: £3,200 - Food during 05-06 and 07-08.

Some may have under claimed for certain items thoughDT_Xtremez_14:

 

[steve_k243]

Found this ages ago, but the figures will have changed relatively little.

What is the money spent on?
Again, the government has a handy list of areas it spends its money on:

* Pensions: £65 billion

* Other forms of “social protection”: £81 billion (fag, booze, drug and pit bull money)

* Social services: £24 billion

* Health: £90 billion

* Transport: £18 billion

* Education and training: £70 billion

* Defence: £31 billion

* Industry, agriculture, employment and training: £19 billion

* Recreation, culture and sport: £11 billion

* Housing and the environment: £18 billion

* Public order and safety: £30 billion

* Debt interest: £27 billion

* Other: £39 billion

How does that work out per household?
Of the £8,720 spent each year for every man, woman and child in the UK, the breakdown is as follows:

* Health: £1,490

* Education and training: £1,160

* Pensions: £1,080

* Defence: £520

* Policing, public order and safety: £500

* Transport: £310

* International aid: £70

* Unemployment benefits: £70

This is, I believe the first government to spend more on benefits etc than the NHS.

 

[GD on Wheels]

They are breaking the rules. The Additional Costs Allowance is to compensate the MPs for necessary costs incurred due to having to run a second home near Parliament. It allows them to claim for the costs of running a home and repairs NOT renovations. The Green Book also stipulates quite clearly that any claims are to be for costs incurred by the MP in the pursuance of their Parliamentary duties NOT their families.

What I meant was as they make them, so they therefore think they are not doing so. As far as they are concerned it is all above board,and in the deluded state of mind they live in can't see what we can see. Thats why the same old mantra comes out every time they are caught out. "It's within the rules".

 

[vim_fuego]

I can see why they are allowed to kit out a flat with some white goods etc. but WTF are we paying for Prescott to decorate his house in Hull with fake tudor beams?

So what do they spend their £65k+ per annum wage on? Apparently not paint...

 

[GD on Wheels]

I can see why they are allowed to kit out a flat with some white goods etc. but WTF are we paying for Prescott to decorate his house in Hull with fake tudor beams?

So what do they spend their £65k+ per annum wage on? Apparently not paint...

Don't forget the two toilet seats the fat tw*t claimed for.

 

[grumpyoldb]

I can see why they are allowed to kit out a flat with some white goods etc. but WTF are we paying for Prescott to decorate his house in Hull with fake tudor beams?

So what do they spend their £65k+ per annum wage on? Apparently not paint...

Pies, pies, and more feckin pies.

 

[dogman]

reading in the telegraph of the details of this bunch of thieves,it is astounding that they refuse to admit the whole scandel is a complete rip off by them against us(taxpayers).Come back Guyfawkes all is forgiven.I intend to send a receipt to the house of commans for a bar of KIT KIT,I wonder if they will pay me.Some hopes. Dogman

 

[vim_fuego]

Was just reading a BBC online article where two of them have come out and said that the Telegraph article was rubbish...Then they went on to convince nobody of their innocence saying they were looking at the possibility of legal action and that they had acted within the boundaries of the rules...

Now if you've been wronged in a newspaper article you go in all guns blazing ranting about retractions etc...You don't act all woolly about keeping within guidelines (set by yourselves) for buying a second house 100 miles from your constituancy when the idea of the 2nd house is to put you inti the heart of the people you are representing...

I think everyone should put as much pressure on these thieves as possible by any means they can think of...letters to papers, petitions, blogs etc...Given enough time they'll lay low and squirm out of this one if people let them...

 

[Talk Wrench]

People mention Guy Fawkes in this thread and others.


Maybe the destruction of parliament is what the MP's want. Then they can all become members of the soon to be EU Government and wash away hundreds of years of british history......................................with the support of the people this time.

"EU government? we didn't want this." said the people. "Yes you did, said the New Fascists"





TW