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York MP Hugh Bayley to reveal expenses details (From York Press)
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York MP Hugh Bayley to reveal expenses details
10:22am Friday 22nd May 2009
YORK MP Hugh Bayley was today set to publish his expenses claims for the past four years following the mounting crisis in Parliament.
The Labour MP is due to publish full details of his claims on his website, following calls by The Press and other media.
Over the past four years, he has claimed near the maximum in second homes allowance: £20,902 in 2004/05, £21,634 in 2005/06, £22,110 in 2006/07 and £23,083 in 2007/08.
Last month, The Press revealed Mr Bayley had claimed £163,319 last year, including the £23,083 in the second homes allowance; £91,614 on staff costs; and £13,472 on travel. His designated second home for which he could claim an allowance was originally a flat in London, but he has now designated his London home as his main home, with his second home being his York address.
Mr Bayley said he made the change after being advised that his main home should be the one where he was spending most time.
“In my defence against the charge of flipping, that’s the one change I made in 17 years, and I made it because it is what the rules said I should do,” he said.
His claims have covered mortgage interest, electricity and bills, and were, “to all intents and purposes”, the same for both homes, so he made no benefit from the switch, he said.
Mr Bayley said he believed he was the first MP in our region to voluntarily publish his expenses.
He also said none of his second-homes claims had been for furniture, furnishings or fixtures. He said there was one claim of about £480 for plastering, after he had had to replace an ageing boiler.
He said most of his expenses related to mortgage payments, but said none of that had been on repaying the capital cost of his home.
Mr Bayley, who spoke out in the House of Commons in January in favour of greater openness on expenses, said the revelations of the past few weeks had done “absolutely enormous damage” to the reputation of Parliament.
He said Parliamentarians had come under fire before, but said: “This time there seem to be more than one or two rotten apples.”
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Your Say YourPress
pickle, York says...
11:38am Fri 22 May 09
Ebygumcanyourbellytouchyourbum, Poppleton Road says...
11:48am Fri 22 May 09
I also feel MPs have no idea how much pure unadulterated hatred, the majority of the British public have for them. I have worked every day of my life since leaving school 29 years ago, no holidays and no time off with illness. The taxman has never allowed me to claim anything back. Every penny i earn is spent on a roof over my familys head and food with nought to spare. The luxurious lifestyles of these already rich MP's sickens me. Elected to look after us, in reality only looking after themselves.
So who are we supposed to vote for?
LibDem, York says...
11:50am Fri 22 May 09
pickle wrote:These were published in The Press about 6 months ago and are on the Councils web site (and always have been).
I'd like to see council expenses brought to light. We have a right to know what is being claimed closer to home against our taxes.
Abstemious, York says...
11:53am Fri 22 May 09
Where's Eddie Vee when you need him?
Ebygumcanyourbellytouchyourbum, Poppleton Road says...
12:00pm Fri 22 May 09
Abstemious wrote:Although it would be fun to have the worlds worst Elvis impersonator as our MP. I feel he would soon discover the gravy train and purchase himself a Graceland at our expense.
So who are we supposed to vote for? Where's Eddie Vee when you need him?
Rodney Rowe, York says...
12:05pm Fri 22 May 09
I suggest that if you don't like the MP you have stand yourself.
I'd vote for someone who is passionate about York, honest, hard-working regardless of what party umbrella they stand under (except the BNP, never ever vote BNP.
Ebygumcanyourbellytouchyourbum, Poppleton Road says...
12:20pm Fri 22 May 09
Rodney Rowe wrote:It was not my intention to seek sympathy, merely to state facts. *apologies for lack of serious illness. It would have to be serious to prevent me from providing for my family. Everyone i know works as hard as i do. Many people reading this will have lived there lives in the same manner. I think it might what used to be known as a "work ethic" ( i wonder if MPs know of this term).
Can anyone else hear the violins for Ebygum? Maybe you should have worked harder at school and got a better job. No holidays? Incredible. I do admire your outstanding sickness record though, there can't be many who have never been ill. I suggest that if you don't like the MP you have stand yourself. I'd vote for someone who is passionate about York, honest, hard-working regardless of what party umbrella they stand under (except the BNP, never ever vote BNP.
meme, skelton says...
12:37pm Fri 22 May 09
I go to London a couple of times a week on business. i can claim for a train fare a hotel if I stay and realistic meal costs but I could not buy a house and claim interest on the mortgage or claim expenses for furniture/repairs etc. The tax man would laugh at me if i tried this
Frankly if I overclaim anything at all, even the smallest of errors, on my tax form I have mega problems with the Inland Revenue and the excuse of ''it was a mistake'' holds no water at all and I would be fined.
Garrowby Turnoff, Bishop Wilton says...
12:43pm Fri 22 May 09
I am sick of hearing their pompous, spluttering excuses in sound-bytes everywhere on the news. Thank goodness it's a holiday weekend and I can get away to the continent for an honest 'self paid' week or so.
York1900, York says...
1:03pm Fri 22 May 09
This is how I would sort it out
The government should buy a block of 500 student type flats for MPs to use in London while they are MPs
Food and utility allowance
Food and utility allowance will be £18.57 per day the same as a single pensioner gets per day this is to live on
If a MP is living with another MP then they will get a total of £28.20 per day the same as a Couple of pensioners gets per day this is to live on and only 1 of the MPs can claim this and if they want any thing else they pay for it out of there pay.
This allowance is only payable as long as parliament is sitting.
It is time that all pay and expenses of MPs are sent to there electorate to have them validated
This would work in this way
The registered Constituency electorate would receive a copy of the MPs pay and expenses statement .
If an MPs partner is also an MP then both MPs must submit copy's of there pay and expenses statements to the registered Constituency local electorate the would also receive ballot paper with 7 options
Options 4 to 7 are to fix the MPs pay for the next year
Each Option as to be answered yes or no
Option (1)
Pay is too much and to be reduced by 5%
Option (2)
Expenses are to be resubmitted after they are reduced
Option (3)
Expenses are reasonable
Option (4)
Pay is reasonable
Option (5)
Pay is too be held at present rate
Option (6)
Pay is too be increased by inflation
Option (7)
Pay is too be increased by inflation + 1%
If a MP is required to resubmit there Expenses
The MP will have to go in front of a public meeting of there registered Constituency electorate to get there expenses approved they must win vote by 60% of those who are at the meeting to approve the expenses if the MP fails to get 60% at the meeting
The meeting will then decide what percentage will be approved if any of it
If the MP dose not want to except the decision of the ballot and meeting the MP will be deemed to of resigned his or her seat
This meeting will be chaired by a local councillor of one of the other party's and not a councillor of the same party as the MP
This would insure that a MPs can not just claim and pay themselves what they like within the rules Staff they can employ that the tax payer will pay for one office administrator and one researcher office assistant to work in Constituency office one office assistant to work in London if there Constituency is more than 80 miles outside of London
Constituency office they will be required to clock in and out every day and there pay will be shown in the MPs expenses with hours worked and rate of pay there hours will be
Monday to Thursday 9 till 5:00
Wednesday to Friday 8:30 to 5:00 and 9 till 1 Saturday for MPs surgery
The MP as to hold at least 40 surgery's per year and when Parliament is not sitting the MP is required to attend there Constituency office every day one week out of every 3 weeks
The only exception to this is if the MP is on government business
This office will be in a local government office or government building with it's own public access
pickle, York says...
1:14pm Fri 22 May 09
LibDem wrote:Where will I find it on the councils website? I've just had a look and can't find it
pickle wrote: I'd like to see council expenses brought to light. We have a right to know what is being claimed closer to home against our taxes.These were published in The Press about 6 months ago and are on the Councils web site (and always have been).
Kiff, York says...
1:19pm Fri 22 May 09
Labour: Bayley, like all sitting MPs, is going to be tainted by this scandal
Lib Dems: Vassie is busy fighting his own party. Will we ever find out why he was sacked?
Kiff, York says...
1:22pm Fri 22 May 09
pickle wrote:Try http://www.york.gov.
LibDem wrote:Where will I find it on the councils website? I've just had a look and can't find it
pickle wrote: I'd like to see council expenses brought to light. We have a right to know what is being claimed closer to home against our taxes.These were published in The Press about 6 months ago and are on the Councils web site (and always have been).
uk/
York1900, York says...
1:28pm Fri 22 May 09
but the expenses system that is in use was brought in 70's by the Tory's
and no MP as ever suince as wanted to change the system as it as been a good cash cow for all MP's
oldgoat, York says...
2:09pm Fri 22 May 09
Kiff wrote:http://www.york.gov.
pickle wrote:Try http://www.york.gov.
LibDem wrote:Where will I find it on the councils website? I've just had a look and can't find it
pickle wrote: I'd like to see council expenses brought to light. We have a right to know what is being claimed closer to home against our taxes.These were published in The Press about 6 months ago and are on the Councils web site (and always have been).
uk/
uk
/council
/Elected_representat
ives
/Councillors
/allowances/
gives you the allowances they all have
http://www.york.gov.
uk
/content/45041/31568
/councillors_allowan
ces
/Schedule_of_Allowan
ces_Annu1.pdf
is the list of the allowances by duty.
near-cost - another security word that's quite appropriate!
ALD, Bishopthorpe says...
4:21pm Fri 22 May 09
santa claus, acomb says...
4:26pm Fri 22 May 09
Seadog, York says...
8:29pm Fri 22 May 09
After all, which of us has never used the office photocopier without permission, or sent personal mail through the business post? Which of us hasn't claimed a petrol allowance or train fare when someone else has given us a free lift to the conference anyway? Which of us hasn't asked for that expensive cigar or unsavoury video to be "lost" in the corporate accountingl? Which of us hasn't read the York Press on-line when we should have been analyzing spreadsheets or writing reports? Which of us hasn't sloped off early on a Friday?
Of course we all come up with our inevitable excuses:"They don't pay me enough to hang around until five o'clock" or "Well, my personal interests are so close to the company's that indulging my hobby is to my company's advantage anyway!" - "It's just a perk - everybody does it!" - "My boss is a total wazzok so he owes me this at least!" etc etc etc.
Of course; the fraud which most of us commit every day is minor -league stuff compared with what our elected representatives are getting up to. Well ... that may be true in terms of CONSEQUENCE: my illicit use of the office photocopier to promote my village Line Dancing Club does no HARM (except to my company, of course, which has to account - increasingly - for every penny) but I am still motivated by a desire to achieve something for nothing and motive, surely, is everything!. Who's to say I wouldn't use the same argument to cream off hundreds of thousands of pounds if I were an MP? The fact is that the higher we climb, the more the opportunities for fraudulent behavior present themselves. Sadly, we're all equally at risk of falling to temptation.
Fortunately, most of us are never in a position to be tempted to THAT degree ... but personally ... morally ... spiritually ... eternally ... ???
Are there really ANY degrees of sin?
sayitasitis, york says...
11:23pm Fri 22 May 09
And how do they pass all their Equality rules by employing their own family in such a position ?
Huge_Bailout, York says...
12:23am Sat 23 May 09
York1900 wrote:HANG ON!
I have looked at Hugh Bayley published claims and as far as I can see the claims are reasonable they are not over the top as some MP's are
but the expenses system that is in use was brought in 70's by the Tory's
and no MP as ever suince as wanted to change the system as it as been a good cash cow for all MP's
Here are a few things that caught my eye in the edited version of the expense claims published on Mr Bayley's website.
1. In the 2007/08 Communications Allowance (which is a waste of money anyway...) a bill of £556 for a Digital SLR camera and accessories. Why? How is that different from the MPs who have claimed for Plasma TVs - similar price bracket. If a camera is needed why not get a cheaper one. If the argument is the pictures would not be good enough quality, why not employ a photographer for an hour. How many photos does Mr Bayley need to take as part of his taxpayer-paid communication strategy?
2. A £50 subscription to "Computing for Labour" invoiced on "New Labour" headed paper. Sorry, why is the taxpayer funding the activities of the Labour Party? That's not to mention £235 for a Labour-run support line.
3. £528 for an accountant to submit one year's personal tax return. (This recurs in other years too.) Ordinary tax payers have to fathom out the ridiculously complicated tax forms themselves or else pay for their own advice.
4. £3,100 claimed in food for 2007/08 alone - having two homes doesn't mean you have to eat twice as many meals. That is just disgraceful.
Finally, I have lost count of the number of computers purchased over the past four years. If I get one replacement at work every four years I count myself lucky.
Huge_Bailout, York says...
12:34am Sat 23 May 09
On his website Mr Bayley states that " I have claimed nothing for furniture, fixtures, fittings, redecoration or improvements to my second home. I do claim mortgage interest (but not repayments on the loan), utility bills and council tax."
Fair enough. But a quick calculation based on his mortgage statements shows that he is apparently claiming the interest on a £350,000 interest-only mortgage. That uses up quite a lot of the permitted "second homes" allowance, so not surprising there is no furniture.
But wait - Mr Bayley has been an MP since 1992 - that's 17 years ago. So no wonder there is no need for furniture in the past 4 years of disclosed expenses.
But that still begs the question of why a £350,000 mortgage? That is a huge amount - especially given the late-80s property bubble was bursting in 1992. £350,000 would have bought a great property in 1992, even in London. I would be interested to know - in the spirit of openness - just how much Mr Bayley spent on that property, why he felt he needed to spend so much, and crucially whether he has taken out any further mortgage advances during his ownership of the property on the back of rising house prices in order to claim more interest...
Huge_Bailout, York says...
12:50am Sat 23 May 09
1. He is maxing out the "second homes" allowance. Joint-1st claimant for the past 3 or 4 years.
http://www.theyworkf
oryou.com/mp/hugh_ba
yley/york%2C_city_of
#expenses
2. In October 2008 he registered an interest in a residential property in London "from which income is received".
http://www.theyworkf
oryou.com/regmem/?p=
10029
3. Photography is obviously a hobby - he stated in Parliament that he was planning to enter a photography competition.
http://www.theyworkf
oryou.com/whall/?gid
=2009-04-01a.263.2
York MP Hugh Bayley
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stevero1, York says...
10:55am Fri 22 May 09