OVER HALF the MPs in the House of Commons have been ordered to pay back a total of £1.1 million (€1.26 million) in expenses – but the inquiry has now been criticised as unfair by a retired judge appointed to adjudicate on appeals.
Labour MP Barbara Follett, the wife of author Ken, has been ordered to repay the largest amount, facing a £42,500 bill for security patrols around her second London home and “excessive” claims for six telephone lines to the property.
Fifty-two per cent of MPs will have to make some repayment: 56 face bills of between £5,000 and £40,000; 182 between £1,000 and £5,000; and 149, including Tory leader David Cameron and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, owe between £100 and £1,000.
Former DUP MP Iris Robinson, who breached Commons rules by spending £1,644 on a new bed, was told by the inquiry headed by Sir Thomas Legg to pay back £545. In addition, Mrs Robinson, who is in the process of quitting the Commons, has had to pay back a claim for £1,429 for service charges, which duplicated a claim lodged by her husband, First Minister Peter Robinson.
Following a review of expense claims from 2004 to 2009, Sir Thomas found that MPs claimed £55 million under the second home allowance. He ruled that £1.3 million of the £55 million should be repaid, though this figure was cut by £185,000 by retired judge Sir Paul Kennedy, who was appointed to hear appeals by MPs to Mr Legg’s original judgments.
Criticising Commons rules, as well as the MPs, Sir Thomas said the expenses system was marked by a “prevailing lack of transparency and the culture of deference”, while decisions made by the Fees Office “lacked legitimacy” and many were “mistaken”.
Besides Mrs Follett, the biggest refunds to be made by sitting MPs come from Conservative husband and wife duo Andrew Mackay and Julie Kirkbride, who must give back nearly £55,000.
Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox faces a £24,878 bill; and three more Conservative MPs, Bernard Jenkin, David Heathcoat-Amory and former cabinet minister John Gummer, must pay nearly £100,000 back between them.
Another former Conservative minister, Peter Lilley, has had the biggest victory, winning an appeal to a demand for £41,057.46 – which was overturned completely.
Sir Paul was scathing in its criticism of the Legg inquiry, which cost £1.6 million to carry out – more than has been saved in repayments, though that is not taking into account future savings.
In his report, also released yesterday, Sir Paul said the Legg inquiry had gone beyond its remit by making judgments about the merits of individual expense claims made by MPs.
“It seems to be that to describe any apparently genuine transaction as tainted, or breaching the requirements of propriety, when there is no evidence of impropriety, is damaging, unfair and wrong,” he declared.
While Mrs Robinson must repay some money, her husband had “no issues” to deal with, according to the report.
Fellow DUP MP Gregory Campbell must pay £3,673 back. Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson has already repaid the £1,859 demanded by Sir Thomas to cover accommodation overpayments and room service charges.
South Antrim MP William McCrea has paid £5,329 back to cover mortgage interest overpayments, a double claim for a TV licence in 2008/09, an excessive claim for furniture costs and overpayments for service charges.
Ian Paisley was overpaid by £1,181.94, and has repaid the full amount, though colleagues Nigel Dodds and East Antrim MP and Northern Ireland Finance Minister Sammy Wilson had no issues.
Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness – who does not attend the Commons – was mistakenly paid £3,000 twice for rent between July and August 2006, since repaid. SDLP leader Mark Durkan had no issues.
