Blears: I won't quit

EXCLUSIVE Yakub Qureshi

May 10, 2009

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HAZEL Blears has insisted she will not resign despite finding herself at the centre of the MPs' expenses storm.

The Salford MP and cabinet minister sold her London flat in August 2004 for £200,000, making a £45,000 profit.

Taxman

But she did not pay 40 per cent capital gains tax because the taxman was told the property was her main residence, saving her an £18,000 bill.

But leaked expenses figures showed the flat was registered with parliament as a `second home' - so she could claim £850 a month for its mortgage.

Last night Ms Blears - who spent the day at a motorbike time trial in Cheshire - told the M.E.N the claim was `not a resigning matter'.

Fought

She says she fought to get her Salford home designated as her primary residence with Commons authorities, after being told she had to register her London flat as her `first home'.

But she pointed out that the Inland Revenue rules are different and let sellers nominate any property their main home.

She said: "I battled for the change because I wanted Salford to be my main home. I resented them telling me I had to say it was London.

"Not only is this not a resigning issue, I think it shows that I was prepared to challenge the (Parliamentary) Fees Office."

Mattress

In March 2004 Ms Blears declared Salford her second home and spent £850 on a TV and video, and £651 on a mattress.

One month later, she switched her second-home designation to the London flat, claiming £850 a month for the mortgage.

After selling this property in August 2004, she claimed for two months living in London hotels - including claims for three Kit Kat Chunkies and a glass of wine.

She then bought another London flat for £300,000, designating it her second home and claiming a monthly mortgage plus grocery bills of £400. Later she spent £4,874 on furniture, £899 on a bed and £913 on another new TV.

Support

As well as the London flat - now worth £500,000 - Ms Blears owns a £300,000 semi in Eccles. Ray Mashiter, secretary of the Salford Constituency Labour Party, said the MP still enjoyed local support and `hasn't done anything wrong'.

Meanwhile, Oldham MP Phil Woolas, has defended accusations that he was refunded for nappies and sanitary towels.

Comics

The immigration minister submitted receipts from weekly shops at Tesco which showed women's clothing, children's comics and a bottle of wine.

However, Mr Woolas insisted he did not claim for the full amount - and was not reimbursed for the family items.

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham, the MP for Leigh, begged officials to clear a disputed £16,500 claim for buying and decorating a London flat. He even joked that he `might be in line for a divorce' unless the dispute was settled in his favour.

Speaking yesterday, the minister agreed there had been too much opportunity for MPs to use their `discretion' and called for reform of the allowances to be speeded up.

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MsD, Manchester (10/05/2009 at 17:26)

lol - Damage limitations start now - but YOU LOT are too late. It's only a matter of time and you are finished.

Having goods delivered to their main homes from their London second homes disgusts me, along with the rest of the scams they have all pulled. And I can't even comment about the Sinn Fein members coining it in either. GO NOW !

Charlotte Peters Rock, Knutsford (10/05/2009 at 17:41)

MPs and expensive manure

Become a politician
Buy the vote - stick in the pin
Trotters in the trough and snout in swill
Late Lordling with ambition
Taking all the public in
Ruling by corruption greed and skill

And here’s the way to gobble up the truffle
And there’s the way to greedy-grasp the cake
Hope no-one understands – its no mere trifle
This murky long career is on the take

Shout loudly of sedition
Blame the rest and lie to win
Servant of the people – mainly you
Colluding with rendition
Cover-up in lies and spin
Keep your secrets out of public view

And here’s the way to gobble up the truffle
And there’s the way to greedy-grasp the cake
Hope no-one understands – its no mere trifle
This murky long career is on the take

Line up – in competition
Public theft ‘is no great sin’
Change the law to make your theft ‘their will’
Creep silent round suspicion
‘Brass it out’ – take aim – begin
Blame the rest – and get in with your bill

And here’s the way to gobble up the truffle
And there’s the way to greedy-grasp the cake
Hope no-one understands – its no mere trifle
This murky long career is on the take

Expensive recognition
Means you take on the chin
Trough and swill - and elevation too
Ermine-clad ‘patrician’
Still the cash – and still the gin
Now the right to trade your title too

And here’s the way to gobble up the truffle
And there’s the way to greedy-grasp the cake
Hope no-one understands – its no mere trifle
This murky long career is on the take

(Repeat for as long as you can return to office)

© Charlotte Peters Rock –

PW, Manchester (10/05/2009 at 18:02)

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!

Chickens are coming home to roost.

BALL AND BAT, ALL OVER (10/05/2009 at 18:04)

Oh my hazel isnt jeffing smiling now is she,more like wincing and looking dumfounded.
Ill vote tory next election as nu-labour has not ever done what they promised to do,i say give cameron a go.

Joe Pub, Manchester (10/05/2009 at 18:27)

Lets have an early election, sounds good to me and to many people, cause I won't be voting for Nu-labour, they are a complete waste of time. Vote them out and say good bye to tyranny.

trueblue, manchester (10/05/2009 at 18:37)

This Parliament should be dissolved at once. The full expenses fiasco should be laid clear before a new election where we could elect people not tainted by this scandal..
Buy back County Hall in London & turn it into a residence for all MP's when in session unless they want to go home at their own expense..

I'll be voting BNP, Angry Brigade ,Green ,Communist ,Jordan ..Anybody other than these chiselling,fiddling disgraces that masquerade as our representatives..

Guten Tag, Manchester (10/05/2009 at 18:50)

Oh dear. This is worrying news. I know Labour will get the boot, but I'm not sure the Conservatives will be any better. We've really hit rock bottom and Westminster is almost morally bankrupt. The best thing would be for the Queen to sack all MPs and start from scratch. Fresh young blood with a new set of pay scales and expenses rules. One thing I will always remember about this year is confirmation that the majority of MPs are just a bunch of self serving arrogant so and so's.

UnsungZero, The North West corner of Albion (10/05/2009 at 19:14)

Are these lot any better than the benefit cheats they often publicly condemn?

David of Ashton, Ashton (10/05/2009 at 20:29)

All this is taking one of the main culprits The Home Sec Smith out of the limelight, deal with her 1st, call an election now get rid of them.

Rick Jenks, Bury (10/05/2009 at 20:55)

Communities Secretary and Salford MP Hazel Blears escaped paying £18,000 in capital gains duty when selling a taxpayer-funded flat. She seemingly told HM Revenue & Customs it was her primary residence, while simultaneously declaring it as her second home to the Commons

If this is correct does it mean that Blears is guilty of deception and lies?

Rick Jenks, Bury (10/05/2009 at 21:00)

When will the money the MPs have claimed be paid back into public coffers?

Rick Jenks, Bury (10/05/2009 at 21:03)

When Blears is sacked with other collegues in the Labour Party icluding Straw and Prescott not least their leader. All monies claime by each of them must be paid back into public coffers. Prison sentences can then be handed out.

blueboy (10/05/2009 at 21:09)

I cannot believe that politicians have their noses in a ever expanding trough . ZZZZZZZZ

red (10/05/2009 at 21:27)

the police should be investigating these claims never mind an ethics committee. we've gone beyong common decency and morals, it's fraud and theft with criminal intent. too bad they can't be deported...to afghanistan.

TheRealWorld (10/05/2009 at 21:40)

joke

Wes Brown (10/05/2009 at 21:54)

Sorry to hear you won't quit. Well I won't be voting for you, Ms Blears, so you'd better get whichever London flat your now living in - on the market!

Lord De Las Moscas, Piggly Wiggly Farm (10/05/2009 at 21:54)

There appears to be a case of possible income tax evasion here or a case of lying about her second home in order to claim money she would otherwise not be entitled to. Which is it Hazel ? It has to be one or the other. Of course you wont resign as you are as brazen as all the rest, completely without shame and resigninmg would mean taking a pay cut from 140,000 per year to 65,ooo per year. We all know that MPs feel they are unable to get by on as little as 65k and that is why they felt entitled to more tax payer money which they though they could hide from us and get away with - BUSTED. Bring on the election and vote for someone you can trust and who does not treat you as a complete mug too daft to do anything about it. If justiced still exists in this country then we need a full scale public inquiry followed by seizure of goods and properties illegally gained and then some prison time for the worst offenders. Would we tolerate any other benefits cheat saying it was the systems fault.

Hamish Macbeth, Whitefield (10/05/2009 at 22:24)

Why can MPs claim for food....Do they have to eat more because they are MPs???

The rest of us buy our food out of our taxed wage!

Hopefully the residents of Salford will vote the Ginger chipmunk out at the next election...then she can go back to one of her many homes and contemplate her career.
I don't know who would employ her afterwards.... and they best keep an eye on the expenses claims she submits

CorneredAllTheLuck, Tameside (10/05/2009 at 22:34)

These people are arrogant and self serving to a psychopathic degree.

Graeme Lowe (10/05/2009 at 23:50)

In these difficult economic times, I for one would be willing to accept a 50% reduction in the vast number of MPs. If one was created, I would certainly support any petition at the Number 10 website to reduce the total of expense claiming parasites. (currently 646).
Many of them make more on their claims than I do on my wages.
I also wish that Hazel would stop claiming that she knows how the public feel.
If she must know, I feel that she should concentrate a bit more on representation instead of her regular patronisation.
As usual we will probably now get her cronies sending in boring emails of support.

red (10/05/2009 at 23:53)

why doesn't somebody charge her with theft, fraud or misappropriation of public funds and she can can spend some time in custody? she apparently is in denial. you can't have it both ways.

Salford Ken, Adelaide, South Australia (11/05/2009 at 00:02)

You tell them Hazel.

" It's nothing to do with the money , just the chance to make a good profit".

Salford Ken, Adelaide, South Australia (11/05/2009 at 00:02)

You tell them Hazel.

" It's nothing to do with the money , just the chance to make a good profit".

what the *, rochdale (11/05/2009 at 00:26)

There is a Labour MP
whom has also in the local
'press' tried to defend her
expenses
Sorry but my vote has been lost
Lets get a grip most of the people they
represent dont earn a 1/4 (if the work }of what they claim for 'expenses '
the sob story in my local rag didnt make me go awww just made me feel
so mad that money being wasted
and as for the EU 14 Billion for rules
naw get rid of them too !!

Bobby White (11/05/2009 at 00:42)

Of course she won't quit, there's still money to be spent. So many people who lost their jobs and homes are now living on the street and she is spending their money on comics. Disgusting attitude!

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