Amount Ann and Alan Keen told to pay back much less than many expected
Sir Thomas Legg has published his long awaited report on MPs’ expenses in which he attacks those who ignored rules and milked a ‘deeply flawed’ system. However, the report has come under fire from some MPs’ for 'not dealing' with those most heavily criticised including Ann and Alan Keen.
In his report Legg showed strong disapproval MPs who used taxpayers’ money to help fund huge mortgages and came down heavily on the Additional Costs Allowance (ACA) system which funded MPs’ second homes. However, although they have been broadly condemned for keeping a second home in Westminster, the Keens were asked to pay back just £345 each for a double expense claim for cleaning services.
Prospective Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate Andrew Dakers said, "“Claiming £690 for cleaning from the taxpayer is very disappointing. Why should taxpayers fund Alan and Ann Keen’s lifestyle choice?
"Whilst they were within the rules, most people feel the Keens and other MPs exploited a broken expenses system. They took taxpayers’ money for a second home when they didn’t need one. There is a good train line running to Waterloo from Brentford and when there are late night sittings they could have saved us all money and got a taxi home to Brentford.”
A "particular challenge" in compiling the report which cost taxpayers more than £1 million had been "widespread lack of proper evidence on the record from MPs to support substantial payments," according to Legg.
He added “The outstanding example is mortgage interest and rental statements, without which it is impossible to be sure that ACA payments were correct. There is therefore a large class of cases where the MPs concerned have had to be requested to produce (or re-produce) the evidence needed.”
We have asked Ann Keen for comment.
February 6, 2010
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