Lib Dems would not claim the Additional Costs Allowance
Amid further revelations about the excessive expense claims of Labour MPs, Ann & Alan Keen, local Liberal Democrat Prospective MPs, Cllrs Andrew Dakers and Munira Wilson added their name to an open letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons, calling for urgent reform or his resignation.
As the national scandal of MPs’ expenses continues, The Daily Telegraph exposed Hounslow MPs “Mr & Mrs Expenses” – Alan & Ann Keen – once again for not only claiming close to the maximum allowance for their shared apartment in central London, but also for both allegedly reclaiming full council tax in some months. The newspaper reported they recently remortgaged their apartment for more than 100% and are taxpayers are footing the bill for the interest.
Prospective Lib Dem MPs Cllrs Andrew Dakers and Munira Wilson who will be challenging Ann and Alan Keen at the next election have joined with 54 of their colleagues in writing an open letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons, calling for immediate reform of the expenses system or for Speaker Martin to stand down.
Cllr Dakers said, “The ongoing shameful tale of Mr & Mrs Expenses’ claims, courtesy of the taxpayer, highlights that it is high time the MPs’ expenses system is reformed and made more transparent. The position of Michael Martin, who was dragged to the Speaker’s seat by Ann Keen on his election, is now untenable.”
Cllr Dakers added, “In Hounslow, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidates committed back in 2004 that we would not claim the Additional Costs Allowance, if elected to Parliament. We stand by that commitment and hope that the ACA will be abolished by the next election.”
Munira Wilson said, “Tens of thousands of people commute in from outer London and beyond everyday to work long hours in central London. They do not need a second home. Alan & Ann Keen should follow the example of their constituents and London’s Liberal Democrat MPs, and use public transport rather than charge the taxpayer for their luxury riverside pad. Their actions, and those of all the other MPs that have been implicated in the recent appalling expenses revelations, totally undermine our democracy and the efforts of those people who are genuinely committed to working for the public good without the need to financially overburden the taxpayer.”
May 19, 2009
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