MPs vote to keep 'John Lewis' List

8.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Sat 5th Jul 2008

MPS have voted to keep controversial second home allowances which allow them to claim up to £24,000 of taxpayers' cash for household goods and improvements each year.

Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood said it was the lowest point in his political career.

Mr Horwood was the only one of the county's MPs to vote against the scheme, which allows them to buy items such as televisions, furniture and even a new kitchen.

The Lib Dem said: "It's a complete disgrace and one of the lowest points since I became an MP.

"It's completely mad. At a time when you didn't think Parliament's reputation could go any lower, people voted to protect themselves from tighter financial scrutiny. They in effect protected the infamous 'John Lewis list'.

"Constituents are struggling to make ends meet. This is not the time to say 'that's all very well but we will still have some of your money to do up our flats.

"I rent a flat. I don't have my mortgage paid by the expense allowance. I have just gone to my landlord and asked for a replacement sofa, I wouldn't dream of expecting the tax payer to pay for it."

MPs voted by 172 votes to 144 to keep the allowance, rather than replace it with an annual £19,600 accommodation allowance, plus £30-a-day for subsistence.

They also rejected calls for independent scrutiny of their allowances. Instead, the Commons will continue to police itself with internal checks.

Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton Brown, Stroud MP David Drew, Gloucester MP Parmjit Dhanda, Forest of Dean MP Mark Harper and Tewkesbury MP Laurence Robertson were among hundreds who did not vote on scrapping the 'John Lewis list' or introducing external auditing.

Mr Robertson: said: "Anybody who has to travel and stay away from home on business is entitled to have that recompensed. If you're in a hotel it's furnished and you are paying for that furnishing in the price of your hotel stay.

"For MPs to have a second home probably makes sense rather than paying hotel bills.

"I can understand why people are aggrieved because on the face of it, it appears we're living this lavish lifestyle at the expense of the taxpayer, but if you add up what an MP costs it's not a lot of money."

There is no definitive list of what MPs purchase but, as a result of concerted pressure from freedom of information campaigners, a full break down of expenses, including second homes allowance, is expected later in the year.

Additional cost allowance covers an MPs living costs in London up to the tune of £24,000.

On Thursday, MPs rejected a package of reforms for tighter financial scrutiny, meaning MPs would no longer be able to claim for expensive electrical goods, furniture or new kitchens at the expense of tax payers.

In 2006/07, Martin Horwood claimed the maximum additional costs allowance along with hundreds of other MPs.

However, he said this was spent almost entirely on rental costs.

Taken from the Gloucestershire Echo on 5th July.