Burnham defends 'John Lewis list'

Daviid Ottewell

July 10, 2008

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Andy Burnham

CABINET minister Andy Burnham has defended his vote to keep MPs' £24,000-a-year second home allowance.

Mr Burnham - Culture Secretary and MP for Leigh - was one of 12 MPs in the region who helped defeat a move to scrap the so-called `John Lewis list'.

The list allows MPs to buy TVs, furniture and crockery at public expense to kit out their `homes from home' in London.

The vote caused uproar, with Lib Dem Nick Harvey describing it as a `total own goal by the Commons'. Now Mr Burnham, in a letter aimed at constituents, has explained his reasons.

He said the planned reforms would not have changed the maximum amount that could be claimed - only converted it to a £30-a-day living allowance, paid without receipts.

"I have always kept my claims to a minimum and have only claimed for things I consider to be an unavoidable extra cost," he said. "In the last financial year, I claimed £10,503 . . . less than half the total available and one of the lowest by any MP."

He said he rejected the new plan as he thought it would be less transparent - and a fixed daily allowance could actually lead to higher amounts being claimed.

The vote to scrap the ACA was lost by 28 votes last Friday.

Mr Burnham was joined in opting against change by Janet Anderson (Lab, Rossendale and Darwen), David Chaytor (Lab, Bury North), Ann Coffey (Lab, Stockport), Andrew Gwynne (Lab, Denton and Reddish), Beverley Hughes (Lab, Stretford and Urmston), Brian Iddon (Lab, Bolton South East), Ivan Lewis (Lab, Bury South), Tony Lloyd (Lab, Manchester Central), Ann Winterton (Con, Congleton), Nicholas Winterton (Con, Macclesfield) and Phil Woolas (Lab, Oldham East and Saddleworth).

Gordon Brown later indicated he was `very disappointed' and claimed the issue would have to be revisited.

What do you think? Have your say.

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Ministry of Truth Spokesman (formerly MC Spanner) (10/07/2008 at 06:57)

Oink Oink

dessie, manchester (10/07/2008 at 07:22)

pigs-noses-trough spring to mind!!!

Voter (10/07/2008 at 07:35)

In what other job do people fix their own salaries, allowances, and expenses? I have a simple rule for MPs' expenses: they should be just the same as those given to the members of the armed forces who have to be in London for four days a week for part of the year. Currently, we have the worst MPs in the history of Britain and the sooner they go the better.

unless (10/07/2008 at 09:19)

Burnham said "I always keep my claims low" after claiming over £10,500.
This goes to show how totally out of touch these people are with the real world. The fact that he could have claimed twice as much only demonstrates what a crazy system this is.
I'm all for attracting the top people to come forward to be MPs and to pay attractive saleries, but that's another issue and should be debated. No one can possibly justify £2,000 a month to spend on second homes. Shame on you Brian Iddon and all Labour MPs.

Guten Tag (10/07/2008 at 09:48)

People of Leigh. Don't give your vote to this man. Last year he received on top of his salary, £10,500 of your hard earned cash to spend on whatever he liked. What could you have bought with 10 grand? Now he has voted for a daily allowance of £30 a day which equates to £930 a month. He doesn't have to prove what he used this allowance for. FREE CASH COURTESY OF YOU THE TAX PAYER!

ace, manchester (10/07/2008 at 11:16)

Im disabled could i please have £24,000 to buy a new car and let the public pay for it? i think my needs are greater than this guys tv or fridge/wallpaper infact he earns so much money he could give me his £24,000 to buy a new car...hehehe just look how poor he looks.

Guten Tag (10/07/2008 at 13:18)

Any person seeking a career as an MP should be doing so on the basis that he is employed first as a servant to the people in his constituency, and the salary should take second place in that career decision! These people are supposed to be our mouthpiece in the House of Commons working towards goals that benefit the community, not trying to get more money for their 2nd homes or to pay for their TV licence! It's amazing how they get paid a generous salary, then another generous payment to help with their first generous salary! Crazy!

vera angry (10/07/2008 at 21:31)

£10,503< = over £200 per week, almost a weeks wage for those (most!) on minimum wage, more than if this money is tax free!!.
How long are we going to put up with politicians, of any party, insulting our intelligence by presuming us to be simpletons accepting of anything, like this oinkers idiotic statement/defence "less than half the total available and one of the lowest by any MP.", . Roll on the revolution!!, sick to death of these gluttonous lice... Please no, "do not vote labour", such a naive statement, all politicians are serving themselves, they have no interest in politics bar the easily gotten lucre.

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