I have had a constant position in respect to MPs expenses and salary. That position is that they should be determined independently of MPs. I have, therefore, generally not voted on these issues.
I managed recently (with the support of colleagues) to persuade my own party to take this position and subsequently the House of Commons has now agreed that the Committee on Standards in Public Life should work out the answer and then MPs stick to it.
In the mean time I have avoided charging the maximum and tried to be cost effective with tax payers money.
It is, therefore, a bit irritating to be criticised because my wife cleaned the flat and we didn't claim for a cleaner, but instead claimed for cleaning materials.
That, however, is par for the course in politics. Once there has been a complete trawl through the expenses I will do a final response to all criticism.
I have already dealt with the oddity that the fees office rejected a request for equipment to help me deal with constituents problems. Hence I could not have the computer part of a TV/computer. I just wish that they would have told me before I bought the thing.
I managed recently (with the support of colleagues) to persuade my own party to take this position and subsequently the House of Commons has now agreed that the Committee on Standards in Public Life should work out the answer and then MPs stick to it.
In the mean time I have avoided charging the maximum and tried to be cost effective with tax payers money.
It is, therefore, a bit irritating to be criticised because my wife cleaned the flat and we didn't claim for a cleaner, but instead claimed for cleaning materials.
That, however, is par for the course in politics. Once there has been a complete trawl through the expenses I will do a final response to all criticism.
I have already dealt with the oddity that the fees office rejected a request for equipment to help me deal with constituents problems. Hence I could not have the computer part of a TV/computer. I just wish that they would have told me before I bought the thing.
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