Forum Topic

The Keens Brentford House

Surely if they have not lived in Brentford for many months as Alan Keen has now at last admitted they have no right to claim the second home allowance?Is this not fraud?

Paul Fisher ● 6206d11 Comments

As some of you may  know I am independent of all political parties having little or no confidants in any of them. I did however vote green in the Euro elections as they seem to be the only party with a credible philosophy, Labour no longer being socialist and the Tories not being the party of the rich ect.I live in Chiswick and work in Brentford, as such I have a right to a view like every one else who pays tax and whos view isn't 'paid for'. Whilst the K££ns say they have broken no rules and their supporters claim they are being victimised, their bank Balance just gets bigger. They ovoid and have avoided the issue of expenses at every opportunity. The recent article in the local press is 5years to late for credibility. If their were no substance in the perceived and claimed wrong doings of this couple of parasites, how come none of her accusers have been sued for libel.I suspect its because there is more to the honesty/dishonesty question than simply remaining within the rules.They should both go!!

Philip Walsh ● 6201d

Sure about that, are you?

Robin Taylor ● 6204d

No.

Phil Andrews ● 6204d

I think Thopsons reponce at the time to raking all the money from the public purse was that in his own words was he was worth the money...it seems the only thing he has done for the reccession is keep the dole office busy with all the local people  he made redundent from the council at a cost to the tax payer of 4 million and raising, is it any wonder that he was in favour of keeping the Feltham dole office open, he was after all there chief client.

Dave Hughes ● 6204d

Phil Andrews.I cannot vouch for Sue Sampson and Gloria Shortt because I have not met either. However, since you claim that they had identical letters published I will take your word for it.On a related matter, have you ever written to the local press under someone else's name? For example, was there a letter in last Friday's Brentford & Chiswick Times which was penned by you?

Robin Taylor ● 6204d

DanI don't actually engage with Robin very often as I find his obsession with our borough, and in particular with myself, a bit unnerving (in his next posting he will probably invoke quotes from 1659 to reveal to you that I was once a member of the National Front, which obviously I had hoped to keep a secret from other users of this forum!).  However, whilst in the interests of fair debate I welcome civilised dialogue with political opponents wherever they should reside I don't consider it unreasonable that fellow posters should be made aware when a contributor enters a debate about our MP as a resident of another borough (Robin lives in Southall, in the London Borough of Ealing) so that they may form a balanced view as to what his or her motivation or angle might be.Robin is one of a small team of writers who assail the pages of the local press on an almost weekly basis with lavish and gushing praise of the K££ns and who are prepared to defend their every action no matter how indefensible.  It is their right to do so in a free society, of course, but I am not the only person who questions why the services of so many non-borough residents are used, like some mercenary army, in the pursuit of this campaign.Two such correspondents who are residents of this borough are Sue Sampson of Isleworth and Gloria Shortt of Brentford.  Just over a year ago Sue had the following letter published in what was then called the Brentford, Chiswick & Isleworth Times.  I quote verbatim:"I write to you in regard to several newspaper articles published in the national press recently."These stories are about our MP, Ann Keen's, expenses. At first glance the stories appear to be saying that Ann Keen has been cheating, and claiming things which are not entitled to her."However, if you read the entire article and dig around you can finally see that she has broken no rules and has done nothing wrong."I see it as shameful that an MP's good name can be dragged through the mud when they have actually broken no rules."I know for a fact that her office deals with a huge amount of casework throughout the entire year and I can't imagine an MP being able to work harder for her constituents."Sue SampsonWoodstock AvenueIsleworth."A few days later the following letter, from Gloria, appeared in the Hounslow Chronicle.  Again, I quote verbatim:"I write to you in regard to several newspaper articles published in the national press recently."These stories are about our MP, Ann Keen's, expenses. At first glance the stories appear to be saying that Ann Keen has been cheating, and claiming things which are not entitled to her."However, if you read the entire article and dig around you can finally see that she has broken no rules and has done nothing wrong."I see it as shameful that an MP's good name can be dragged through the mud when they have actually broken no rules."I know for a fact that her office deals with a huge amount of casework throughout the entire year and I can't imagine an MP being able to work harder for her constituents."Gloria ShorttEaling RoadBrentford."Under the circumstances, I guess it is not difficult to understand why the K££ns prefer the services of Prince Rupert to those of Micky and Donald?

Phil Andrews ● 6204d

Dan.What you see on this thread is a vendetta. It seems that certain councillors who are in receipt of £25k of public money have nothing better to do with their time than incessantly moan and whine about the Keens.Do not be surprised when ICG Councillor Paul Fisher attacks you for living just outside of the borough. There are people who post of these forums from as far a field as New South Wales: but they do not get criticised for where they live (unless, of course, they say something unfavourable about the ICG, in which case their location will suddenly become a valid reason for trying to deny them the right to express an opinion). For what it's worth, my understanding of the article I read in the Hounslow press is that the Keens had a dispute with the builders who were working on their (main) Brentford property. They expect to return to it within a matter of months. The Keens only claim on the one property - that being the one near parliament. Their accommodation arrangements enable them to do their jobs more effectively on behalf of their constituents.Apart from that, I wouldn't take too much notice of David Giles' postings. On the W4 forum last week, he was unable to offer any defence of the campaign donations being received by merchant banker & Tory PPC Mary Mac£eod from multi-millionaire tax exiles. As he's an active Tory, let's hear him defend that before listening to his obsessions with Ann Keen.

Robin Taylor ● 6204d

DanPaul Fisher has raised a legitimate question which is:If the Keens no longer live in their Brentford house, are they therefore entitled to claim the cost of the mortgage on that house and the cost of the mortgage on their main home in Waterloo from the taxpayer ? The second question is:If they are using only one home, are they entitled to claim the cost of a second home ?At the moment it appears they are claiming the cost of the mortgages on both properties.It appears to me that if they are not living in their Brentford home, then at the moment that only have one home and that is the apartment in Waterloo. MP's are not entitled to claim the cost of the mortgage on their main home.If this is true, they should not be entitled to claim Additional Costs Allowances on any home - be it either in Brentford  or in Waterloo.I have no doubt that in due course this issue will be brought to the attention of the relevant authorities.

David Giles ● 6205d

At no stage in any post - check them all - have I defended the indefensible actions of the Keens. So why lie to say so. Yes, I live just outside the London Borough of Hounslow, by a matter of yards. As it happens I live where three boroughs meet and being on the edge of each am quite entitled to contribute to a number of forums, as do a variety of others of all persuasions. I do have some family reasons for taking an interest in Brentford and have lived in this overall area all my life. So please don't come all parochial to defend your humbugging position. Unable to find a home in any national political party, you have found a cove in a local community group from which corner you utter endless virulent attacks on the current MP (who may well deserve a lot of them), whilst not - so far as I am aware - putting forward any position on national political issue

Dan Filson ● 6206d

Ann Keen is my MP though not yours of course and she does also claim to live there.I did not realise you had become a moderator on this forum by the way and your constant efforts to defend this couple is quite frankly laughable considering that none of your comrades who actually live in Hounslow have the courage to do so.

Paul Fisher ● 6206d

Give it a rest, Councillor Fisher, he's not the MP for Brentford and Isleworth, andv your own position on councillor expenses seems to be "they made the budgetary provision, they made the rules, my claims were within the rules, and anyway everyone else was claiming too" which makes you a bir of a humbug, doesn't it?

Dan Filson ● 6206d