James Purnell's expenses

Yakub Qureshi

May 26, 2009

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CABINET minister and Stalybridge and Hyde MP James Purnell claimed £250 of expenses - on fridge magnets.

Mr Purnell, MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, claimed hundreds of pounds on the novelty items as well as books and a £223 digital camera.

The Work and Pensions Secretary is understood to have commissioned 3,000 promotional magnets as an off-beat alternative to business cards.

A to Z of MPs' expenses

The cards, which contained contact information, were available to visitors at the MP's Tameside constituency office. Mr Purnell, 39, elected to parliament in June 2001, is the youngest member of the cabinet and has been tipped as a future Labour leader.

He also purchased three books from internet bookshop for £42. The books included the classic political text Reflections on the Revolution in France by Edmund Burke.

A spokeswoman for the MP, who is also among a number of ministers who claimed for a digital camera, said that all the items were legitimately claimed and had a practical use.

She said: "All office cost claims that James made and were paid out were in accordance with Fees Office guidance at the time and he made no personal gain.

"However, James shares the public anger at an expenses regime that seems completely broken and he agrees the whole system needs urgent and radical reform."

Mr Purnell had last week agreed to show the MEN his expenses - and even made an appointment to see a reporter - but later changed his mind, saying that Cabinet ministers' accounts would be published at a later date. He has still not revealed the figures.

The offices of several other government ministers claimed cash on personalised cards and calendars, as well as equipment such as cameras and camcorders.

Yvette Cooper claimed for a digital camera and also £1,200 for 30,000 calendars. Douglas Alexander claimed £750 for 4,000 Christmas cards.

Salford MP Hazel Blears purchased two digital cameras between 2004-2008, costing £217 and £220. A spokesman said the equipment was necessary for constituency work.

A to Z of MPs' expenses

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dessie, manchester (26/05/2009 at 07:56)

do politicians actually need to be paid, i mean the taxpayers fork out for food, accomodation, luxuries etc....... but people who cant get jobs live in £50 a week!!

gladys rowbotham, Manchester (26/05/2009 at 08:09)

The camera that he bought has been pre-programmed - every picture taken has an automatic print of James Purnell included! He's on every picture even when he isn't there!

Hamish Macbeth, Whitefield (26/05/2009 at 08:18)

If "James shares the public anger at an expenses regime" perhaps he could purchase books with his own money after he has paid his tax and NI.
I can't see how Reflections on the Revolution in France by Edmund Burke will assist him in doing his job - unless he saw the prols anger and up-rising at the excesses of their political masters before everyone else did !

jeffb, buxton (26/05/2009 at 08:32)

£250 on fridge magnets people in this country are forced to live on less for weeks. Sack the lot of fiddling (sorry its all permissible by the rules)bent grabbers and lets start again and tighten up the rules, and stop all these dubious claims.Lets have the Police Fraud Squad in to investigate these charges exactly as what would happen if anyone else had acted in this way again one rule for them and one for us

Bejjy ex Salford now Malta, Malta (26/05/2009 at 08:39)

How does the acquisition of fridge magnets worth £250 and a £223 digital camera help Purnell (all benefit claimants are scroungers) do his job as a minister and MP more effectively? His smug look is as nauseating as the smug look of his cabinet accomplice, Blears.

Jay B, oldham (26/05/2009 at 09:00)

he was being made out to be perfect last week. we all know that these lot have all abused the system in some way!

johnnyboy, Ashton-u-Lyne, Lancashire (26/05/2009 at 09:13)

This fellow can not only be in two places at the same time, but says one thing and does another come on Staylbridge and Hyde get rid of him.

john davis (26/05/2009 at 10:09)

The fact Purnell backed out of a meeting with a M.E.N Reporter to me and many others in my opinion seals it, he is a complete joke, you rarely see him in the constituency other than when he has to be there for surgeries and how Gordon Brown can say he has not done what Hazel Blears has done is complete bunkum, the sooner an election is called and all these freeloaders are dumped the better, Purnell is the DWP Minister, tell him to try living on the pittance they give you when you lose your job usually to the incompetence of the Labour government, I remember Tony Blair's words when he came to power in 1997 THERE WILL BE NO SLEAZE IN THE GOVERNMENT AND LABOUR PARTY. Are you having a laugh it should now read IF YOU ARE NOT PREPARED TO CHEAT YOUR EXPENSES AND CLAIM FOR FAR IN EXCESS OF WHAT IS REQUIRED LEAVE THE LABOUR PARTY NOW.

hjk (26/05/2009 at 15:26)

Tipped as a future Labour Leader my ..... He couldn't lead a donkey.

Frostee, Oldham (26/05/2009 at 15:49)

"He also purchased three books from internet bookshop for £42. The books included the classic political text Reflections on the Revolution in France by Edmund Burke."

Another title that Purnell bought was Modern Conservatism which is probably appropriate for any New Labour minister, especially one so closely connected to Tony Blair. There's something about these serving ministers like Blears and Purnell, I'm not sure whether their vomit inducing grins are as a result of their expenses claims or whether they are practising for the Crab Fair Gurning Competition. Whatever, I think they stand a good chance of winning it.

Purnell was of course one of those who 'flipped' his flat in London to avoid paying capital gains tax - quite within the rules of course but nevertheless a nice little earner!

Frostee, Oldham (26/05/2009 at 15:55)

hjk: He was tipped as a future Labour Leader because of his personality and fridge magnetism.

wilkie, glasgow (26/05/2009 at 16:29)

Hopefully the good people of Manchester will kick Purnell into touch at the first opportunity along with Blears and all the other labour pigs with their snouts in the trough.
Surely if Purnells landlord can kick him out for behaving like a pig the electorate can do the same.
Brown seems to condone this type of disgusting behaviour and should go now.

Tameside Blue, Tameside (26/05/2009 at 20:44)

He's my MP. He's no chance of getting my vote.
Pay the money back Purnell. You can afford it and, match it with a donation to charity

Andanotherthing, Mcr (26/05/2009 at 20:59)

People of Stalybridge, rise up...Go to your fridge and peel off that free magnet. Use the contact details provided to let him know what you think.

Or make a quick proffit be the first to sell it on ebay.

Esso Blue. Live wires touch raw nerves. Tuff, Manchester. (26/05/2009 at 21:33)

Someone wrote on another site that mps should go now and that they have lost touch with reality.

There is a couple of ways of looking at it. 1 is that they control reality and the rules and make mugs of us all, and the other is that a lot of them now and again lose touch with reality by taking things they shouldn't in excess.

Even them knowing that we now know the other side to them they will still laugh because they think no matter what they will still be lurking somewhere sucking us dry.

Dennis the Menace, Hyde (27/05/2009 at 00:30)

It is quite clear that this man HAS NO SHAME !!!!, he claims for evrything and anything that he possibly under the guise of "its in the rules"....... people in his position should be setting an example by actually thinking before spending OUR MONEY......

I SINCERELY HOPE THAT THE VOTERS OF STALYBRIDGE AND HYDE GET RID OF THIS LEECH THAT WAS DUMPED UPON US !!! .... DOES ANYONE RECALL BEING ASKED IF HE SHOULD REPRESENT US ????? BECAUSE I DO NOT !!!!!

he consistently puts in a "bad work performance", has no real interest in his constituents and is only in post to line his own pockets as we can clearly see !!!! NO WONDER HE CHANGED HIS MIND AND DECIDED NOT TO DIVULGE HIS EXPENSES TO THE MEN AS HE PROMISED !!! all this "However, James shares the public anger at an expenses regime that seems completely broken and he agrees the whole system needs urgent and radical reform." is utter bull waste !!!!! he does not share our anger and he certainly does not want a reform which will result in him losing his grocery bill, tax bill and many others too !!!! LETS GET RID OF HIM AND GET SOMEONE WHO REALLY UNDERSTANDS LOCAL ISSUES AND NEEDS !!!!!!

Mr. Charles Worth, Neither here nor there (27/05/2009 at 00:53)

£250 on fridge magnets? Here's hoping the electorate of Stalybridge & Hyde 'freeze' him out at the next General Election!

john davis (27/05/2009 at 12:24)

CAN ANYONE ADVISE HOW AS A VOTER IN PURNELLS CONSTITUENCY YOU CAN GET A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE AGAINST HIM BEFORE THE NEXT ELECTION, I HAVE HEARD THAT THEY ARE ATTEMPTING IT WITH MISS MONEYPENNY BLEARS BUT I AM KEEN TO KNOW AS PURNELL HAS TO GO AT THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY, HE NEEDS TO BE STOPPED ASAP

J.Hall, Tameside (28/05/2009 at 10:54)

John Davis
The most productive way at present is to collect signatures near the Asda Supermarket in Stalybridge.
Appeal for others to assist for a couple of hours even if its just two hours on any day Fri/Sat/Sunday and start the ball rolling
I reckon you will be doing everyone a massive favour.

paul smart (28/05/2009 at 12:31)

the lack of transparency even now and the failed meeting with the MEN sends a very clear message about what Purnell thinks of us the taxpayers and what he thinks he is entitled to do with our money.
We know that he was ''within the rules''.
How can he (or any of them)think that claiming £400 every single month for food with not 1 single receipt is morally correct?are these people stupid?
he has still not answered if he spent 183 nights in his constituency home in broadbottom last year??

paul smart (28/05/2009 at 12:40)

'' james shares the public anger at the expense system''
if he was that angry about it why did he claim on it? why did he not boycott it? why did he not speak up about it on tv or in the press?
the standard responses are now as infuriating as the claims.
do we really think he was that angry whilst he was claiming the maximum £400 food allowance every month without fail.he must have been seething when he had to claim for his tax advisor.
and he must have been close to exploding when he used taxpayers money to promote himself at stalybridge celtic.
poor guy, maybe a rest will do him good

alfalan, Manchester (28/05/2009 at 13:37)

The Right Honourable James Purnell; who's pay is around £124.000, I believe, claimed £400 a month for food. He claimed for an accountant, contrary to HMRC regulations. There is a question mark about a tax liability he "avoided ", and he felt the need to claim for the fridge magnets, which was probably an advert for Labour and a camera, which he probably used to take photos of himself so he could have them superimposed on other photographs, so he wouldn't have to actually be there when the original photographs were taken. He introduced a Bill to stop the "benefit scroungers". Is there some irony in this?
Right Honourable this man is not. Unlikely, but I hope he comes knocking on my door touting for my vote.

Dennis the Menace, Hyde (29/05/2009 at 00:52)

alfalan, Manchester ...... I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THE RECORDS .... YOU WILL FIND THAT JAMES PURNELLS sAARLY IS IN THE REGION OF £142, 000 :) ...... HOPE THIS DOES NO UPSET YOU TOO MUCH ...... Ohhhh and then add on his expenses :)

Regards

Dennis

phil bateman (30/05/2009 at 19:05)

the labour party could put up athree legged blind dog in stalybridge and hyde and he would still get elected so come on you locals lets show them that enough is enough and that the phrase a safe seat does not mean a licence to rob us blind.enough is enough lets get rid of the lot of them.hanging is to good for the bunch of cheating freeloaders ,a good kick up the arse is what they need and a spell on the dole(or in jail for some of them).

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