FURTHER details of the MPs' expenses scandal were revealed as Parliament finally published official documents - but many of the contentious details were blanked out.
Millions of pages of documents made public for the first time this morning show:
- Shadow chancellor George Osborne, MP for Tatton, claimed £40 for DVDs of himself speaking at a debate on value for taxpayers' money
- Altrincham and Sale West's Graham Brady claimed for a £10 milk-frother, a £11.99 'handy blowtorch' and 89p on a chive plant
- Janet Anderson, MP for Rossendale, used £900 of public money to rebuild a dry stone wall
- Ruth Kelly, the Bolton West MP and former transport secretary, claimed thousands of pounds for work on her house - including taking down a cot in a bedroom and clearing away a table-tennis table
- James Purnell, the Stalybridge and Hyde MP, spend more than £1,000 advertising himself at Stalybridge Celtic football club.
The details of all MPs' expenses claims were made public more than year after the High Court ordered the publication of all MPs' expenses. However, many of the documents had details blacked out, concealing some of the worst examples of MPs who exploited the system.
One case was Bury North MP David Chaytor, who has announced he will not seek re-election after admitting an “unforgivable error” in claiming £13,000 in interest for a mortgage he had already paid off.
This was discovered by the Daily Telegraph who were able to examine a leaked, unedited version of the documents from Parliament - but it would never have come to light in the official published documents because his second home address is blanked out.
Today Mr Chaytor faced renewed pressure after it was reported he had paid his daughter for work under her 'professional' name.
What did your MP claim? Links to all Greater Manchester MPs' claims
Full background to the expenses scandal and interactive map
The documents, on the House of Commons website, covers printed documents and receipts relating to MPs' claims between 2004/05 and 2007/08 for a series of parliamentary allowances.
The receipts reveal the scale of claims that our MPs have been making, with taxpayers' money spent on everything from mortgages to accountants, home furnishings, food, council tax bills and transport.
Many MPs have already resigned or indicated they will stand down as a result of disclosure of their expenses claims by the Daily Telegraph in recent weeks.
Lancashire MP and junior Treasury minister Kitty Ussher, became the latest scalp last night when she quit the government following allegations that she avoided paying capital gains tax by 'flipping' her second home - the practice of MPs changing which property is designated as their second home.
The release of tens of thousands of claim forms and receipts on the Parliament website more than a year after the High Court ordered their publication is likely to lead to demands for greater openness.
What did your MP claim? Links to all Greater Manchester MPs' claims
Full background to the expenses scandal and interactive map
MEN reporting team: David Ottewell, Amanda Crook, Deborah Linton, Simon Coyle
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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
Mark,Radcliffe. (18/06/2009 at 09:49)
Pete in Salford, Salford (18/06/2009 at 10:46)
Jomov (18/06/2009 at 10:49)
Lord De Las Moscas, Piggly Wiggly Farm (18/06/2009 at 10:54)
I did not know what McBride was doing.
There will be no cuts.
I did not want to make Ed Balls Chancellor.
I will be more transparent and open.
It has become a national shame and we must take direct action to force an election. A million people down the Mall and not Downing street. Get the Queen involved because this mob ignored the million that said NO to the Iraq invasion.
RT, UK (18/06/2009 at 11:06)
Everyone thinking of voting for a particular sitting MP should ask or find out if the have been flipping or where there main home is actually based.
If they have been flipping then this has been done for a purpose!
Avoiding Tax and furnishing, repairing, paying to run at least 2 homes seem the main reasons.
Others include renting it out, paying yourself or relatives the rent claimed.
All within the rules of cheating.
hjk (18/06/2009 at 12:09)
dessie, manchester (18/06/2009 at 12:35)
Bejjy ex Salford now Malta, Malta (18/06/2009 at 12:37)
Many, but not all, MP's have been ripping off the tax-payer for years and were complacent in doing so because they thought no one would notice. Now that many have been "outed" they are making excuse after excuse such as "it was within the rules" to excuse their scandalous behaviour in an attempt to pull the wool over the electorates eyes which will no longer wash as most people are now aware what rogues some MP's are. One political commentater this morning estimates that as many as 150 MP's will now stand down following the publishing of the details of MP's expenses just as Kitty Ussher did last night.
J.Hall, Tameside (18/06/2009 at 13:03)
before the next election.
Lets call them the Publics Manifesto releases just before the next election,"SORTED"
Enjoy the final collated results Andrew Gwynne
red (18/06/2009 at 15:05)
red (18/06/2009 at 15:07)
red (18/06/2009 at 15:15)
Richard Dunne at City for ever please (18/06/2009 at 15:22)
My MP is one of the good ones and should not be tarred with the same brush as the likes of Blears and co. Unfortunately my MP will not be standing next election, unless the Salford CLP get rid of Blears this evening, because of boundary changes. I am lucky that I live in the part of Eccles that is being transferred to the Worsley constituency where another honest MP is standing. I feel sorry for the people the other side of Eccles who may have to choose between Blears or another political party.
That bit of fluff, under the sofa (18/06/2009 at 15:45)
J.Hall, Tameside (18/06/2009 at 15:58)
Certainly agree re Direct Action regardless of the intimidation towards marchers like myself re the Iraq War,when i created my large poster showing Blair and Bush with the caption Beware of Devious Politicians.for my trouble (within 3 feet) I was escorted the length of Oxford Road by a mounted PC,with some bumps originating from the horse ??.
The Public have become completely apathetic to any action,because its been deliberately depicted that any marches are the result of boneheads looking for trouble,hence the unwillingness to be involved.
The mind manipulations of the public are now a feature of control backed by media concentrated
pictures and reports,so its time the public regained its "lost bottle" and acted in accordance with their consciences,because Politicians are oblivious to their own consciences,and must be reminded by numbers.
If 11 million pensioners marched showing their disgust at being the worst paid pensioners
in Europe,it would only take weeks to achieve a result,because at the end of every day its votes that dictate political manipulations of their devoted Labourite clans who still have blinkers on.
After over 40 years of voting Labour my blinkers went on E.Bay
MCFCANDY, M41 (18/06/2009 at 16:03)
It’s because it is Tax payer’s money, not to mention the wage they are already getting to do the job. Any corporate company would have accountants and rules and proper regulations to ensure no one is fiddling like they seem to have done. Which again get paid far too much? That money could be spent on things that we actually need and will benefit from. What really topped me over the edge was they blamed the banker’s bonuses for this recession. The lot of them are a waste of space and wont give them the time of day
Mark,Radcliffe. (18/06/2009 at 16:15)
willing to listen, Middleton (18/06/2009 at 16:23)
Let me give you a simple scenario, which might just help you to grasp why so many people feel angry and justifiably frustrated at the very obvious abuse of the Parliamentry allowances system.
' There is a party, lots of drinks and a big bowl of nuts in the middle of the table, now what do you do ? do you take a few nuts, or do you cram as many nuts as you can into hidden pockets, bags etc. (not that you particularly need those nuts), but just taking too many, because they are there ! '
Most people would be happy with a handful of the said nuts, as most people are fully aware, to be seen , to be grabbing more then your FAIR share, would make you appear greedy ..... and that is what the majority of MP's seem to be !!
J.Hall, Tameside (18/06/2009 at 16:44)
How low do these people sink when they spend OUR MONEY.
Read the Telegraph facts besides other released facts.
thaitanium (18/06/2009 at 16:56)
Happy? I will be happy when the 646 mixed,assorted nuts in the house of commons are given their marching orders.
AnOnYmOuS!!, Manchester (18/06/2009 at 16:58)
J.Hall, Tameside (18/06/2009 at 17:53)
Your assumptions are a load of c---
Because you might take advantage of a situation to obtain undeserved money do not suggest we are all like that.
When MP`s spend the majority of their time NOT AT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS why the hell should they feed their orifices with Food paid for with our bloody money.
At 73 I and my family have always cut our cloth to comply with our resources,whilst these political parasites rampage through the systems and pilfer resources from the very people they represent.
A parting suggestion,do not believe we have the same standards as what you may have,because many of us have not sold our consciences out with a slice of greed.
willing to listen, Middleton (18/06/2009 at 18:04)
How can you compare teenagers who get pregnant to elected MP's. ??
We...... the voting public have (in most instances) elected the MP's to represent us, yet they continue to fleece us !
Eddie the red, Surrey born and bred, Middlesex (18/06/2009 at 18:56)
thaitanium,
18/06/2009 at 16:56
There are nut in the House of Commons? Jesus! But how can you give them marching orders? Surely the cannot respond to the human voice nor are they in any way vilitional....
EBYGUM, MANCHESTER (18/06/2009 at 20:56)