Author: simon
Andrew Turner On His MP Expenses – Statement
Tuesday, 19th May, 2009 at 5:32 pm, Isle of Wight
Below is the statement from Andrew Turner on his expenses. VB contacted him last week asking for details. More details shortly – Ed
Island MP Andrew Turner has today published details of his expenses claims on his website prior to full publication of records over the next few weeks by the House of Commons authorities.
They show that in 2008, the most recent year about to be published, he received £19,953 for his second home.
That included £13,355 for interest on his mortgage and £3,969 for repairs and insurance. He claimed £92 for his water rates but nothing for gas or electricity. He also declined to make any claim for food although he could have claimed up to £4,800.
The claims, known as the Accommodation Costs Allowance put him 389th of the 646MPs.
He also claimed £108,843 for operating costs for his constituency office in Newport, where he employs four people full time, and a total of £8,846 on travel.
Mr Turner, who represents more people in Parliament than any other MP, said he understood the public anger, and recent headlines and revelations had made very uncomfortable reading.
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That all sounds perfectly acceptable to me – at least he didn’t have any wild claims in there.
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I agree Margie, I suspect there are some people on this island who would have loved to seen outrageous claims from Mr Turner. Luckily they will be disappointed.
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My impression of our MP is of an honest man. briefly met him in Sainsbury once, very polite. No delusions of grandeur or anything like it.
I do think that the pay of MPs should be increased quite considerably and then allocate them a budget for ALL expenses which once spent, is spent.That is probably not a popular thing to say but if our MPs are elected to represent the people of the 5th largest economy of the World then we need to reward accordingly and expect excellent canidates and excellent representation.
Not career opportunists and charlatans.That way we might get something actually done. Also they should work a full year, 5 – 6 weeks hols maybe, not 5 months as at present
I also find it astonishing that the more senior, (but by no means top-dog) public sector employees MPs meet, work with and hold accountable, are often on twice or three, even four times an MPs salary.
That cannot continue.
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You are right..there should be a wage cap for everybody. Its crazy that we pay people to make money whilst those that work the hardest are paid a pittance…society is the wrong way round when a nurse is on the breadline and a bank manager earns hundreds of thousands.
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Hear hear – I reckon there should be a maximum as well as a minimum wage.
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MP,s should have One Salary, to cover the cost of their commitments, and not allowances for various other items.
MP,s should be made to repay all expenses that they have obtained during the past year, which they are not legally entitled to.
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Andrew Turner has been and continues to do a very good job for the largest constituency in the country – The Isle of Wight.
He has released a breakdown of his accounts very propmply to us all on a website updated every day read by most Islanders with a computer – Ventnor Blog – and he doesn’t appear to have taken advantage of the system. As Anne Widdicombe said, if MPs were not allowed to claim anything Parliament would only have the very rich and a few trade unionists and nothing in between. Andrew Turner is a good representative of middle England of which the Isle of Wight is mainly composed.
He appears to be an honourable man. I am not a member of any political party but in these unstable times, come the next election I think we should continue to send him to Westminster.
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Andrew should publish all the details of his expenses, with only the confidential details blackened out – It’s no good just saying you can examine them at his office. If they exist let all his constituents see them.
He is always keen to use the County Press when it suits him, therefore his full unadulterated expenses (The ones you can have sight of at his offices) should be publish, so everyone can see them. Not everyone even knows he and his partner have web sites; not everyone has computers.
He could have the work done, and claim the costs on his expenses, just like he has had all his publicity etceteras published, at tax payers expense, in the past.
Full transparency was promised, I expect nothing less.
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its a shame we have to sink to voting Tory to do so
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In light of the outrageous claims that many of Mr Turner’s colleagues have
been banging in, I, like many others, have been waiting with baited interest to
read his expenses claims.
His office of appointment has the largest constituency of all. Combine this
with the impact of travel costs etc from the island and I feel the report
tells it’s own story.
I do not particularly share MR Turner’s policies, but his continued integrity and honesty must be seen by many as a welcome breath of fresh air
in what has become a very stale and tainted room.
I was left feeling a little awkward to see that he appears to have paid for his own kitchen
whilst Nick Clegg has not.
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Well done Andrew Turner.
Despite representing more people than any other Mp and being based on an island your ‘expenses’ are modest.
I would bet the electorate appreciate your honesty and integrity. It’s a pity others at Westminster didn’t uphold such high standards.
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What we see is not the full story. There were two CD’s with the MP’s expenses on. The first was sent back to have the more “sensitive” information taken out. We the public have only been able to see the reducted version. Unfortunatley we “The Public” will never really know the worst of the corruption that invades high office. Democracy in the UK is really a farce. Why is government allowed to know everything we do and track virtually all our activities and movements when we cannot ask the same of government. When we are treated with respect then just maybe the people who tell us what we can and can’t do in ever more suffocating ways will get it also.
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DDH for a Peerage.
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Brown envelopes Have been issued.
Andrew Turner MP has received one – He has been asked question/s. and has agreed to respond. Let’s await the outcome, due in three weeks time.
What I find totally unacceptable, is that the recently demoted Home Secretary has got away (up to now) with just apologising to the House after cheating and being untruthful; how can she remain an MP? Some Labour MPs could be seen patting her on the back after grovelling; birds of a feather comes to mind.
And what about the ‘flipping’ and all the other
major fiddles that’s been done?
I often wonder what the police force is for; it does appear they prosecute everyone except MPs.
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