Press Release
MP Offers Scrutunity Of Expense Claims
Coatbridge Chryston and Bellshill MP Tom Clarke offered local newspapers in his constituency access to his expense claims over the past four years.
Mr Clarke said: “I have no idea when the Telegraph will get around to publishing my expense claims, but although details of all expense claims will be in the public domain in July, my local newspapers can have access to them now and publish what they consider appropriate”.
The MP stated: “I haven’t actually gone through them line by line, but I know the component elements and headline figures. Under the controversial Additional Costs Allowance (ACA) MPs can claim up to £24,000. Over the past four years my expenses claimed through the ACA were: £14.315, £15.070, £16.731 and £16.264. Over the past four years my claims from ACA were just a little over half of what I could have claimed. My ACA expense claim was in the bottom third out of 646 MPs”.
The MP said that he never intended to profit from any of his expense claims. He said: “Had I bought a home in London I could have upon my retirement cashed in the asset which would have yielded a substantial amount of cash perhaps two hundred thousand pounds”. Tom Clarke added: “However I do not have a home in London, instead I have chosen to live in a hotel which costs around £124 per night. Each month I submit receipts for total expenditure incurred as well as subsistence which is reimbursed at £25 a day. There is an office cost allowance which pays rent and incidental expenditure associated with running my office. On average I claim £24 a week for taxis in London”.
The MP concluded: “Performing my duties in and around the constituency means that my weekly mileage is approximately 80 miles, as well as mileage to and from the airport. My staffing allowance is paid directly to members of my staff. For the avoidance of doubt, like everyone else my home in the constituency was paid for with my own money. I have made no claims for house repairs, furniture, or telephone bills, indeed I have never tabled a claim for any item of expenditure relating to my home in the constituency”.