Row over MP's expenses (From Somerset County Gazette)

Row over MP's expenses

7:00pm Tuesday 15th December 2009

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WEST Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger has defended paying somebody to clean his second home in London – while he was back in his constituency.

Fresh details of MPs’ expenses published this week show he claimed back the £50 a week cost of employing a cleaner at his parliamentary home in Lambeth between April 2008 and February 2009.

The MP continued to claim the £50-a-week during August and September when Parliament was in its summer recess, and during the three-week Christmas recess.

He told the County Gazette: “It’s more important to have a cleaner when there’s nobody there. In London, you do not want a property uninhabited. Dust settles – I wish I could turn off dust but I can’t.

“Also there were times during the summer when I was back in Lambeth staying in the property.

“I have stopped claims for the cleaner because you cannot claim for cleaners any more. I accept the rules but £50-a-week is very close to the minimum wage.”

Mr Liddell-Grainger also defended his claims, over the same period, for £375-a-month on food.

He said he used the money to feed himself and his wife Jill while he stayed in Lambeth. “It only works out as £50-a-week for each of us,” he added.

Mr Liddell-Grainger’s rivals for the West Somerset constituency at the next General Election criticised his expenses claims.

LibDem Parliamentary candidate Theo Butt Phillip branded his claiming expenses for a cleaner while he was back in Somerset “ridiculous” and said the system should be changed so MPs cannot claim for food.

Labour parliamentary candidate Kathy Pearce added: “Some of these claims seem excessive. Ultimately voters will have to decide whether they are getting value for money.”

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