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The Keens are costing us more than ever.

Earlier this year,the Information Commissioner ruled that Mr and Mrs Keen should disclose details of how they spend their expenses. The Keens have declined to disclose the information.The House of Commons authorities have appealed the Information Commissioner's ruling.Hopefully the matter will be decided soon and the information will be revealed before the next General Election. According to today's Hounslow Chronicle, the Keens have claimed nearly £200,000 in Additional Costs Allowances since the figures were published in 2001.However Alan Keen has been an MP since 1992 and Ann Keen has been an MP since 1997 so the total may be much more.The Keens have never explained or justified why they have claimed these allowances and have avoided attending public meetings at which they could be questioned by their constituents on the subject.According to today's Hounslow Chronicle "Their combined Additional Cost Allowances this year are their largest to date, rising by a whopping 27 per cent since 2005/06 from £30,288 to £38,515.""In 2006/07, Alan Keen claimed £135,009 of taxpayers' money -up six per cent- while Ann Keen filed for £135,599, an increase of eight per cent."These expenses are in addition to their parliamentary salaries of  £60,775 each and Ann Keens' additional salary of  £30,160 as a Parliamentary Under Secretary.Their total salaries are £151,730.Their total expenses are £270,606.They cost the taxpayers £422,336.Are they worth it ? 

David Giles ● 6476d10 Comments

I hope they didn't bring too heavy bags with them on their Parliamentary Cricket Trip to Australia.

David Giles ● 6469d

Are they after more freebies?

Mick OBrien ● 6472d

VanessaIn your heyday in local politics, did you ever think of becoming the local MP?

Jim Lawes ● 6473d

Yup, I'm 'fraid so Vanessa,everything Left isn't right,and everything Right isn't wrong.  Now if someone could just steer a median course....with the publics interest (rather than their own), uppermost, then who knows?  It's not going to happen though,is it?

Tony Wood ● 6474d

There is slightly more to being an M.P. than claiming you won't do something when elected, that's easy to say now, but I tend to agree that they're all pretty much cut from the same cloth once elected.

Vanessa Smith ● 6474d

the Conservative Prospective Parliamentary candidate for this constituency has said that she will not claim the Additional Cost Allowance claimed both by Ann and Alan Keen.

David Giles ● 6474d

When will people realise it doesnt matter what political party is in power...they are all as bad as each other ALL HAVE THEIR SNOUT FIRMLY IN THE TROUGH.

Mark Welland ● 6474d

Vanessa, David Cameron's flights are paid for by Conservative supporters at no cost to us, the taxpayers.Gordon Brown, the Cabinet's flights and the flights of all junior ministers and parliamentary under secretaries like Ann Keen are paid for by us, the taxpayers.Alan and Ann Keen's second home in London are paid for by us, the taxpayers.

David Giles ● 6475d

Vanessa, David Cameron's flights are paid for by Conservative supporters at no cost to us, the taxpayers.Gordon Brown, the Cabinet's flights and the flights of all junior ministers and parliamentary under secretaries like Ann Keen are paid for by us, the taxpayers.Alan and Ann Keen's second home in London are paid for by us, the taxpayers.

David Giles ● 6475d

David Cameron's free flights are worth almost £300.000 it was revealed yesterday, the Tory Leader used free helicopters and private jets provided by businessmen to fly the world. A further probe on 'non cash' donations to the Tories listed at election wtchdogs The Electoral Commission has found 23 travel donations were flights paid for by businessmen valued at about £298.000. A Tory spokesman said "All flights are carbon offset". The moral? - they're all at it.

Vanessa Smith ● 6476d