MP puts expenses on the internet (From Swindon Advertiser)
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MP puts expenses on the internet
10:30am Tuesday 19th May 2009 in News
SOUTH Swindon MP Anne Snelgrove has claimed almost £50,000 on her second home since becoming an MP.
The figures have been revealed after Mrs Snelgrove posted a breakdown of the expenses for her London home on her website, which showed she has claimed £48,616 since she was elected in 2005.
One of her rivals for the South Swindon seat has rubbished her claims of transparency and said the figures should have been published long ago.
Mrs Snelgrove said: “People are angry and it’s time for MPs to start meeting that anger by publishing their expenses.
“MPs can’t publish the actual receipts because of data protection laws, but they can and should publish the figures.”
Since April Mrs Snelgrove has not claimed the second homes allowances, opting to take the new £7,500 London allowance, of which 40 per cent is taxed, instead. She has previously referred to the second homes allowance as “indefensible”.
She said: “When I became an MP I realised I could not regularly work up to midnight in London, return to Swindon every night and return to work early the next day and be an effective MP.
I claimed the second homes allowance and that enabled me to stay overnight in London.
“I bought items of furniture using that allowance but at the same time I financed setting up my office in Swindon, and I have continued to subsidise my office amounting to approximately £10,000 over the last four years.”
The figures show that Mrs Snelgrove spent a total of £14,283 in the last financial year, including £2,030 on food and subsistence and £695 on service and maintenance.
In her first year as an MP in 2005/06 Mrs Snelgrove claimed £8,075, the following year the figure was £7,499 which went up sharply to £18,757 in 2007/08.
Mrs Snelgrove explained that the figure had increased when she bought a house after two years of renting in London.
She said: “I was fed up with living in pokey bedsits.
“In 2007 I found myself rushing around to look at flats and it was taking up too much of my time.
“I would like the House of Commons to have a hotel because all you really need is a crash pad. A lot of other parliaments have got that.
It would be far better for everyone and I have asked on numerous occasions for that to be considered.”
Robert Buckland, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for South Swindon, said: “It is a partial picture but a good start.
“It’s a shame that MPs like Anne have waited for events to overtake them before being transparent. Why wait so long to publish all these details?
“Anne voted for declaration of MPs’ interests this year but if you look on the website www.theyworkforyou.com they still describe her as voting very strongly against a transparent parliament.”
To see the full details of the expenses go to www.annesnelgrove.co.uk/my-expenses.
Comments(57)
localgirl80
says...
10:44am Tue 19 May 09
The Librarian says Oook
says...
10:49am Tue 19 May 09
http://www.annesnelg
rove.co.uk/my-allowa
nces
not
www.annesnelgrove.co
.uk/my-expenses.
How sweet. Allowances – Like pocket money, not huge great fat juggernauts of public money running down the M4 and into Anne’s pocket.
Security word is “soon-vote.” Yes we will. Within the year in fact, and B’Ann’dwaggon’
s majority is paper thin.
Adver I am now certain you are doing it deliberately, but its getting funnier by the day!
northern_soul
says...
10:50am Tue 19 May 09
"Anne cannot yet publish the actual receipts because the Clerk of the House, Malcolm Jack, has issued the following advice:
"....in publishing this information yourself, you would take on responsibility as data controllers for ensuring that it meets the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998. For example, you would need to take care to avoid publishing personal data about staff or suppliers. You may wish to take your own legal advice before publishing.
Second, if you are contemplating publishing the information electronically, you should be aware that, in the current format, apparently redacted information may remain accessible.
The third issue arises because of the huge size of the allowances files held on the TSO website, due to the very high volume of data involved. If a significant number of Members simultaneously download this information onto the parliamentary network, store it, or transmit it using parliamentary email, there is a risk that the parliamentary network will slow down or freeze."
Anne has therefore decided to type in the amounts and a description of what these were and load the information onto her website: the ACA today (Monday) and the office costs later in the week, as this will take longer to type.
Once the House authorities publish the full receipts Anne will add a link from her website".
watsy
says...
10:51am Tue 19 May 09
watsy
says...
10:51am Tue 19 May 09
The Librarian says Oook
says...
10:57am Tue 19 May 09
Odd, in your story she is quoting the Data Protection Act, but on her Website shre says”;
“Of course I don’t have the physical receipts because they have all been submitted to the House of Commons, but I thought I could at least provide a break-down here from my own records.”
Don’t you keep copies Anne? In any case, changing your story is a bit suspicious.
Robh
says...
10:59am Tue 19 May 09
This is more than many people earn to support their entire family. Even worse is that it only represents part of a year perhaps 26 weeks.
The Librarian says Oook
says...
11:04am Tue 19 May 09
northern_soul wrote:
If you look at her website in the press release bit this is what she says: "Anne cannot yet publish the actual receipts because the Clerk of the House, Malcolm Jack, has issued the following advice: "....in publishing this information yourself, you would take on responsibility as data controllers for ensuring that it meets the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998. For example, you would need to take care to avoid publishing personal data about staff or suppliers. You may wish to take your own legal advice before publishing. Second, if you are contemplating publishing the information electronically, you should be aware that, in the current format, apparently redacted information may remain accessible. The third issue arises because of the huge size of the allowances files held on the TSO website, due to the very high volume of data involved. If a significant number of Members simultaneously download this information onto the parliamentary network, store it, or transmit it using parliamentary email, there is a risk that the parliamentary network will slow down or freeze." Anne has therefore decided to type in the amounts and a description of what these were and load the information onto her website: the ACA today (Monday) and the office costs later in the week, as this will take longer to type. Once the House authorities publish the full receipts Anne will add a link from her website".
Ahh, fantastic, a third story. Its still nonsense though.
First Point – As Stated, companies cannot be Data Subjects and therefore publishing information about suppliers cannot breach the DPA. If the names of company staff are displayed then delete surnames etc to make them unidentifiable.
Second point – Utter drivel. Copy the receipts and use tippex to cover up private information and then scan them. Redacted (Hidden) information will not be retrievable.
Third – Technobabble. As in point 2, scan them and put them on a PDF stored on your own server. There will be no impact on the parliamentary system.
Moral of the story, Keep It Simple!
Captain Sensible
says...
11:05am Tue 19 May 09
Burt Man
says...
11:25am Tue 19 May 09
vacuum: £200
Cost of Snelgroves
bedding: £500
Cost of Snelgroves living room: £4500
Seeing Snelgrove pummelled in the elections: Priceless!
There are somethings money cant buy, for everything else there are MP expences.
ArnoldLane
says...
11:27am Tue 19 May 09
I await her response.
Dear Anne,
Thank you for putting a full breakdown of your expenses on www.annesnelgrove.co
.uk/my-expenses.
I am a Conservative supporter but will back you fully if I believe your claims are valid, necessary and proportionate.
I firmly believe you are entitled to out-of-pocket expenses in order to do your job.
I firmly believe you should be able to live in some comfort when living away from your home.
My query is this: when you lived in London, either in rented accommodation or after you bought a property, which home did you declare as your main residence? If you declared the London address as your main residence, did you buy any items for your 'second home', i.e. your Swindon home? If so, what were these items?
I personally do not believe MPs should be allowed to furnish their main family home at taxpayers' expense but I repeat I would be fully supportive of your furnishing a home in London in order for you to be able to carry-out your work.
Many thanks in anticipation.
Bobfm
says...
11:27am Tue 19 May 09
The train takes about an hour from Paddington, and I would suspect with a season ticket would be just a tad cheaper that 20K, even with the occasional hotel bill.
Odd how MP's are now favouring the option first mentioned by Nigel Farage, ie a Hotel for MP's owned by the tax payer.
It is just a little hypocritical of Rob Buckland to condemn Anne when some of the biggest fraudsters are Tory MP's. Didn't one claim 1/2 a million.
Common Dreads
says...
11:36am Tue 19 May 09
And look at her (already high) expenses for food over the years: £2900, £3000 but then a massive 45% jump in one year to £4300. Given that MPs only actually work 34 weeks a year, that's a total of £126 per week, every week just on food alone.
Anne, my dear, make hay while the sun shines, because as of the next election, you'll be needing a new job... and it most certainly won't come with quite such an attractive expenses package.
The Librarian says Oook
says...
11:37am Tue 19 May 09
It is just a little hypocritical of Rob Buckland to condemn Anne when some of the biggest fraudsters are Tory MP's. Didn't one claim 1/2 a million.
There are some horror stories out there. What I have found saddest is that MP’s who I previously regarded as people of integrity (even if I disagreed with their politics,) have turned out not to be so. Tam Dyell for example used his allowances to claim £18,000 to buy 12 bookcases for his 200 acre estate in Scotland. Many things are wrong with that story, not least a public servant being able to afford a 200 acre estate, never mind thinking that £1,500 is a reaosnable amount to pay for a bookcase.
Much as I agree with you about MP’s though, there is a danger in going down the road of “they’re all as bad as each other.” Some did, some did not. Guilt is individual and choices are free, and each MP who has enriched themselves at our expense chose to do so.
No-one has the right to apologise on behalf of all MP’s, not Gordon McClown or soon-to-be ex Speaker Martin or anyone else. MP’s should each be held accountable by their constituents, where it counts, at the ballot box at the election (which can’t come too soon.)
In B’Anne’dwaggon
s case, her majority is as thin as some of their excuses.
Kineasy
says...
11:39am Tue 19 May 09
" It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place,which you have dishonoured by your contempt of all virtue,and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government, ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money".
He bangs on a bit and finishes "Make haste! Ye venal slaves be gone!"...."In the name of God, go!"
Oliver Cromwell 1645.
Bet this will upset the lefties!
SockPuppet
says...
11:41am Tue 19 May 09
If no-one faces criminal charges then this will be a massive mockery of justice and democracy in the UK. So not much different to the Iraq war then.
Bobfm
says...
11:48am Tue 19 May 09
MP's should take total Independent responsibility and you are right. There should be an election now, it is not to late to make June 4th a triple election.
UKIP would be ready. There is simply no point in the main parties trying to campaign and spin their way out of this. Those who have transgressed should 'fall on their' swords, new candidates should be picked and off we go.
The public know what we are up against now. It should be the public who decide the time scale. Lets hope the Queen really does break with tradition and dissolve the Parliament, it is strongly rumoured she effectively told Brown to go.
Security: Next-Desk how appropriate.
Bobfm
says...
11:56am Tue 19 May 09
The Librarian says Oook
says...
12:04pm Tue 19 May 09
Bobfm wrote:I do hope so
Speaker is going but not immediately. Interesting, perhaps there will also be a general election announced.
Ian13
says...
12:09pm Tue 19 May 09
London is 1 hour by train so why the need for MP's to have a second home.
An MP's hotel would seem sensible.
kman
says...
12:13pm Tue 19 May 09
TKD4ever
says...
12:32pm Tue 19 May 09
Guess what she was too busy to meet them, as was her assistant, they had to make do with the assistant's assistant.
Now we know what she was doing, trying to get the last penny out of expenses before the rules were changed.
Surely what could have been more important then meeting a group of school children who have got up early, and paid to come to your place of work to find out what exactly you do.
What a great example they are all setting to the children. Do what you like and if you get caught just hand the money back, if you don't get caught then keep it.
grumper
says...
12:32pm Tue 19 May 09
Bobfm wrote:UKIP would be ready??? What a load of rubbish!
TL, I agree with everything you say, however I would go further on the blame game thing. I firmly believe it is wrong to scarp goat Martin, I have never thought he was a good Speaker, nevertheless, it was MP's who voted in this system. I can imagine what would have happened if the fees office continually sent back expenses claims. Those that did would find themselves being moved sideways. MP's should take total Independent responsibility and you are right. There should be an election now, it is not to late to make June 4th a triple election. UKIP would be ready. There is simply no point in the main parties trying to campaign and spin their way out of this. Those who have transgressed should 'fall on their' swords, new candidates should be picked and off we go. The public know what we are up against now. It should be the public who decide the time scale. Lets hope the Queen really does break with tradition and dissolve the Parliament, it is strongly rumoured she effectively told Brown to go. Security: Next-Desk how appropriate.
Kineasy
says...
12:36pm Tue 19 May 09
Personally I think she has been Voting Fodder for Brown, she does what she is told by the whips, and thereby qualifies for the dosh. All MP's are discredited and the Government of the day bears heavy responsibilty for encouraging and enabling such greed.
The game has moved on, the Nation wants an election, now, and does not care how that comes about.
The ballot box will decide if this level of expenses is acceptable, just as it will decide who it wishes.
Another Quote from Oliver Cromwell addressing Parliament in 1653 "..gold is your God, which of you have not bartered your conscience for bribes? ..."
All about Gravey trains and stuff like that.
Kineasy
says...
12:42pm Tue 19 May 09
Bobfm wrote:General Election? Yes but not immediately! We need an enquiry, and some reports, a Royal Commision and an opportunity to further con the public and cover up as much of the mess as possible. Anyway the longer we are in power the more money we can snitch, do a few property deals, get a knighthood or two and a job in Europe.
Speaker is going but not immediately. Interesting, perhaps there will also be a general election announced.
What a super security word: poor-plan. Adver is on the ball today.
Common Dreads
says...
12:50pm Tue 19 May 09
Bobfm wrote:I won't believe it til I hear Brown say it, but, dear God, I hope so.
Speaker is going but not immediately. Interesting, perhaps there will also be a general election announced.
Mum's The Word
says...
1:09pm Tue 19 May 09
watsy
says...
1:28pm Tue 19 May 09
Burt Man
says...
1:34pm Tue 19 May 09
TKD4ever wrote:Anne Snelgrove was too busy with her snout in the trough to give a poo about seeing the children.
My daughter's school debating club went to London last week to see a debate in action. The trip had been arranged for some time and they were also due to meet Anne Snelgrove, to explain some of the more intricate workings of parliament. Guess what she was too busy to meet them, as was her assistant, they had to make do with the assistant's assistant. Now we know what she was doing, trying to get the last penny out of expenses before the rules were changed. Surely what could have been more important then meeting a group of school children who have got up early, and paid to come to your place of work to find out what exactly you do. What a great example they are all setting to the children. Do what you like and if you get caught just hand the money back, if you don't get caught then keep it.
Makes my blood boil.
Burt Man
says...
1:37pm Tue 19 May 09
Kineasy
says...
1:53pm Tue 19 May 09
tarot
says...
2:37pm Tue 19 May 09
alfred
says...
2:48pm Tue 19 May 09
Kineasy
says...
3:10pm Tue 19 May 09
Oliver Cromwell addressing parliament in 1645.
He then proceeded to knock a few ruins about! Angry or what!
Burt Man
says...
3:14pm Tue 19 May 09
Kineasy
says...
3:38pm Tue 19 May 09
Burt Man wrote:Feel free, Plenty more there. But all a bit near the truth.
If we want to learn about Oliver Cromwell, we will research on the internet ourselves thanks.
His last six words say it all "In the name of God,go!"
Anyway good news is that the communist shop steward has had the skids put under him.
Lets hope we get an early election and can dump the rest of them. Snelgrove, Dave, Gord, Blears, Jackboot Jacki,Wills, Haig, Harman et al.
swindonistani
says...
4:31pm Tue 19 May 09
why should MPs be allowed to purchase a second home? and pocketing the gain tax free?
I think it is time to end all these allowances now!
give MP an extra £10K/year and that is it then it is up to them
Lets not forget that most MPs are already rich!!!! so the fact they using public money is just at best morally wrong and in the worst case pure fraud!
Bobfm
says...
5:29pm Tue 19 May 09
That aside, perhaps Anne would like to justify what was so important that a pre-arranged meeting with school children was of little consequence.
It's not as if they just popped into Swindon to see her.
ifuwantblood
says...
5:31pm Tue 19 May 09
Can anyone point to anything that this ridiculous woman has achieved during her 4 years on the gravy train? (At a cost of approximately £300,000!)
Mum's The Word
says...
5:39pm Tue 19 May 09
FiremanSam
says...
8:16pm Tue 19 May 09
MPs, mmm sadly I dont trust any of them, they will milk the system for all its worth and more. Would you do the same in their position??? I think yes. They ave bin caught out and ave to pay the consequenses. Mums The Word... I smilin. xx
Never mind
says...
8:49pm Tue 19 May 09
Common Dreads
says...
9:10pm Tue 19 May 09
ifuwantblood wrote:All we got for our money was a woman who voted however Blair and Brown wanted her to.
It wouldn't be so bad if this woman had actually delivered any benefit to her constituents for the EXTRA £12K a year (on average). Remember this is in addition to her salary of over £64K. Can anyone point to anything that this ridiculous woman has achieved during her 4 years on the gravy train? (At a cost of approximately £300,000!)
Swindon, and the people of Swindon, come a very distant second to Ms Snelgrove's career and expenses claims in the strange little world of Anne Snelgrove.
spirite
says...
9:26pm Tue 19 May 09
ifuwantblood
says...
9:35pm Tue 19 May 09
Common Dreads wrote:Strange little world indeed. Have you watched the video's on her website? She gives me the creeps.
ifuwantblood wrote: It wouldn't be so bad if this woman had actually delivered any benefit to her constituents for the EXTRA £12K a year (on average). Remember this is in addition to her salary of over £64K. Can anyone point to anything that this ridiculous woman has achieved during her 4 years on the gravy train? (At a cost of approximately £300,000!)All we got for our money was a woman who voted however Blair and Brown wanted her to. Swindon, and the people of Swindon, come a very distant second to Ms Snelgrove's career and expenses claims in the strange little world of Anne Snelgrove.
The problem is that people who see themselves as 'labour voters' and will 'always vote labour', will do just that no matter who the party puts in front of them. So we end up with some hopeless inadequate like Snelgrove 'representing us', sorry, dancing to the tune of the party leaders. But then again our democracy is the envy of the world..
Captain T
says...
9:51pm Tue 19 May 09
"Freedom of Information - we should always tell the press anything they can easily find out some other way"
Kineasy
says...
10:44pm Tue 19 May 09
Elect a brand new set of Honourable Gentlemen and let them oversee the mucking out. It is not rocket science. Ordinary people have had enough.
Snelgrove spends more on her lounge than OAP's get in a year! What sort of Socialism is that?
komadori
says...
11:06pm Tue 19 May 09
If Ms Snelgrove really believed that, would she have bought something that is clearly much more than just a crash pad and then furnished it in some style at our expense?
Her actions - and expense claims - speak louder than her words.
Kineasy
says...
10:04am Wed 20 May 09
It really is time for an election. Sorting out 640 fiddling MPs and recovering fraudalent claims will take years, It can be done after an election.
TKD4ever
says...
1:42pm Wed 20 May 09
"Trust is like virginity, you only get to loose it once."
And boy have you lost our's. It is time to go now by staying you show what contempt you hold the electorate in.
Kineasy
says...
11:47am Thu 21 May 09
So time to move on, have an enquiry, slap a few wrists and order the Whitewash.
Just love the security word:gain-easy
Kineasy
says...
12:34pm Thu 21 May 09
86% for 14% against an immediate election!
Closed to further comment, all previouse comments deleted! Polling closed.
It appeared to be a subject of enormous public interest. For some the truth and public opinion can be unpalatable.
Ms K
says...
7:15am Fri 22 May 09
Kineasy
says...
3:26pm Fri 22 May 09
TGLP
says...
10:31am Sat 23 May 09
,she needs one.
I wrote to the Adver about a year into her election. Question, what has she done for Swindon. She replied with, I,v done this and I,v done that but nothing was for the town. It was just campaigns and commities she was on.
Time to go.. Annie get your guns..
TGLP
says...
10:33am Sat 23 May 09
“In 2007 I found myself rushing around to look at flats and it was taking up too much of my time.
Plenty of people liveing in hostels in the town would have loved your problems, if youd taken on there,s.
The Librarian says Oook says...
10:42am Tue 19 May 09
What utter garbage! What complete nonsense. Mrs Snelgrove either has no understanding of the Data Protection Act whatsoever or she is choosing to mislead us.
Long story short, the Data Protection Act is there to protect the rights of Data Subjects. A person can be a Data Subject, whilst a company can’t. Data Subjects (people,) have the right to choose how information (Data) about them is used.
The information on the receipts relates to Mrs Snelgrove and the companies she bought goods from. The companies have no rights under the DPA, only Mrs Snelgrove does.
In other words, if she wanted to publish her receipts, she could. She is choosing not to, and the Data Protection Act has got nothing to do with it.
I wonder what she might be hiding?