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MP Jackson told to pay back further £97 in claims
Peterborough MP Stewart Jackson was ordered to repay a further £97 of money he spent on his second home by a scrutiny committee set up to examine Tory MPs' expense claims.
Peterborough MP Stewart Jackson was ordered to repay a further 97 of money he spent on his second home by a scrutiny committee set up to examine Tory MPs' expense claims.Mr Jackson has already repaid 304 he controversially claimed for swimming pool works at his house in Broadway, Peterborough – as well as a further 887 spent on gardening and maintenance.
But last night he was named as one of 41 Conservatives who have been told by leader David Cameron's expenses scrutiny panel to pay back claims which "could be regarded as disproportionate".
Today, Mr Jackson said the sum he had been ordered to repay was the second lowest of all the MPs, insisting his expense claims had all been "honest and above board".
But he declined to divulge further details of the 97 claim for "a household expense", made early in 2006.
More:
Special report: MPs expenses, June 2009.
What do you think?
Email your comment: eteditor@ peterboroughtoday.co.uk or use our online Your Say form: write us a letter now.
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Details of expenses claimed during the first six months of that year – which are now available for the public to view – show that, among other claims, he received 212.06 for food, 418.94 for cleaning and 3,173.65 for "other" expenses, including home refurbishment, fabrics and carpentry.
Mr Jackson said: "I asked the scrutiny panel to examine my claims and to examine whether or not these were reasonable and if, in retrospect, some money ought to be paid back.
"I recognised public anger about the allowances and felt I had a duty to listen and respond to it by atoning for our failure collectively in Parliament to reform the expenses regime.
"I did not want to duck any problems, but tackle the issue head on.
"I have voluntarily paid back last month 1,191 relating to swimming pool maintenance in 2005/06 and gardening and maintenance in 2008/09."
Mr Jackson said today that he had already paid the 97. He also distanced himself from those MPs who had "flipped" their second homes – switching their designated property to maximise claims – or had claimed for "phantom" mortgages and luxury items.
Some of the 41 Tory MPs have been ordered to repay thousands of pounds of excessive claims, with the highest repayment amount totalling 25,000.
"I want to emphasise that my use of the allowance system has always been honest and above board," said Mr Jackson, who claimed total second-home expenses of 66,722 between 2005 and 2008. Like many others, I needed assistance to maintain two homes in Peterborough and London in order to be both a legislator and a local community representative.
"I have never profited from the expenses system."The vast bulk of the (total) amount claimed was for mortgage interest, utilities and council tax – a fact acknowledged by the scrutiny panel finding only 97 to be paid back.
"I now want to get on with representing Peterborough and serving the city's residents to the best of my ability."
In the wake of the findings yesterday, David Cameron said he believed all the expenses ordered to be repaid had been properly made, but could be regarded as disproportionate.
"I also want to make very clear that the fact that MPs have chosen to make repayments does not indicate guilt or a breach of the rules," he said.
Each of Parliament's 198 Tory MPs have had their expense claims examined, and 186 have had their cases resolved. None of the area's other MPs have been asked to repay any further claims, including North West Cambridgeshire's Shailesh Vara.
Mr Vara said: "The scrutiny panel has looked at my claims and hasn't asked me to pay anything back."
More:
Special report: MPs expenses, June 2009.
What do you think?
Email your comment: eteditor@ peterboroughtoday.co.uk or use our online Your Say form: write us a letter now.
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