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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