Quote:
Originally Posted by g jones
The article picked up on a few misleading statistics and weaved a negative story around them. All the genuine stuff was left out. It's inclusion would have destroyed the credibility of the story.
It wasn't personal. Newspapers get a good hook out of telling people expenses stories because there have been huge scandals.
Eg Andrew Stephenson is a young single man who slept on his mates sofa. I have a young family and know no-one in London so claimed the rent allowance. Standing MPs are still on the old cheaper mortgage system and don't claim (expensive) rent.
London MPs and MPs in the South East can't claim rent allowances.
Some MPs have either been slow or inefficient in claims or don't bother providing constituency staff or a constituency office. Hyndburn office by all accounts is one of the best in the country. My first quarter submissions for such were always going to be up to date and ahead of others.
Pensioner MPs getting rail discounts and travelling first class yet having lower expense claims because of their age.
Rather than it be the positive it is. Efficient and comprehensive with no one 'on the take', it was portrayed as a fiddling story based on the headline totals being put in a league table of shame.
Left out of the story was;
All food paid for by myself
All travel around East Lancashire paid for by myself
Most train travel second class off peak.
Volunteering by people in the constituency office
Efficient first quarter claims
Northern MPs facing extra costs
New MPs facing significantly higher costs.
Working age MPs facing higher charges
MPs with young families facing greater burdens
I expect criticism and i have always done what I believe is right and in the public interest and I am proud that we have more than played by tight new rules. We have made every effort to bare the cost and treat every penny with respect at the same time as upping the service to the public here.
I accept the media have a job to do and that some people conveniently shoot from the hip. I accept all of that and it comes with the job. All I can do is point out the facts.
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Think that is all we could ever ask for or expect