Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms MP’s Snouts In The Trough Afain

I have sent this to my local MP. It will be interesting to see if I get a reply at all, or if so, what it may say.

Dear Mr. Xxxx,
I'm wondering if you could comment on the £10,000 awarded to you as extra expenses until next March. I am a self employed person whose income ceased completely 16th March.
I understand this amount has been awarded to you to cover extra expenses. I cannot easily see what extra expenses you will incur. You will presumably already have state of the art office equipment so no need to buy new tech? You will presumably be saving a huge amount by not travelling? I wonder if you could tell me the reason for the extra and comment on whether you think it is a good idea when the rest of us have no income or at best, are being asked to cope with 80% of their normal income and, typically, have two or three extra people at home. I would genuinely value your comments and could pass them on to my underwhelmed colleagues.
Yours sincerely,

Well, I had a very prompt and polite reply from my MP.
Do you think he answered my questions?

"Dear




Thank you for contacting me.




I am fortunate to have the job I do. It is a great honour, privilege, and responsibility to represent people in our parliament, and it is a well-paid job.




To be clear: any operating costs specific to staff not being able to be in Westminster during lock-down, I expect to cover out of existing budgets; and I am not receiving additional money at this time, in the sum mentioned or any other amount.




Thank you again for getting in touch.




Kind regards"

Well done you for bothering to write to these scroungers..

Want to ask your MP a question?
Their email address can be obtained here


https://members.parliament.uk/members/Commons

My MP got this

I'm wondering if you could comment on the £10,000 awarded to you as extra expenses available to you until next March.
Specifically;
Given MP’s already get £26,000 pa to cover your office expenses, why do they need more? Surely £26,000 is sufficient especially when that sum alone exceeds the starting salary of a nurse in the NHS?
Do you personally intend to claim any or all of the extra £10,000? If you do would you kindly be able to identify how you justify the extra money needed and on what it will be spent?
Will you still be able to get your expenses claim in within 90 days?
Does a grant of this magnitude really send out the correct message to the country at a time when many people are struggling due to the current Coronavirus crisis?
Should you and your colleagues openly stand up and be counted by publicly refusing to claim the increased expenses?
I realise you were not an MP at the time but I’m sure you will understand my concerns given some of your current and past colleagues somewhat dubious history when the words Members of Parliament and Expenses are mentioned in the same sentence.
Thank you in advance for answering my specific questions, hopefully without a generic reply.
Yours sincerely,

Thanks. I have emailed my MP but don't live in hope of a response.

I have to report that my MP came back to me after I queried his response, asking for clarification. He confirmed that the money was not being doshed out. That if he incurred extra expense he would have to show what it was and apply. And that he had no need or intention of claiming it.
As he'd had to send me 3 emails over two days and ended up making a very clear statement, I was quite impressed with him actually!

My emails to him very were polite and not at all accusatory, just asking for information.

Nick

That's refreshing tbh - forgive my cynicism but we had Anthony - Duckhouse - Steen as our local MP for far too many years.

And more. My daughter had written to her MP who said in reply that there are few MPs who are fans of IPSA at the moment. He said that he had no intention of claiming. He added that the only scenario he could imagine would be :

"Where it might be necessary is if a new MP has just taken out an expensive lease on new constituency offices and fully equipped their Westminster office, and now has the additional cost of equipping all of his or her Westminster staff to work from home as well.

To a long established MP like me, there is no such need."

So all in all, looks like a painful decision by IPSA.

Nick

And here is the response from my MPs office. Snout firmly in trough.,
"
Thank you for your email about MPs allowances. Therese has explained that it's accurate that an extra £10k can be claimed to support activity due to CV19 but it is not a grant.
She expects her budget to incur some expenses as she has allowed staff to buy printers and other equipment they may need to work at home, as well as any extra expenses on their telephones.

Best wishes

Phillipa



Phillipa Rudkin MBE

Chief of Staff to Rt Hon Dr Thérèse Coffey MP
Suffolk Coastal and Secretary of State

at the Department for Work & Pensions

House of Commons, Westminster, London, SW1A 0AA

0207 219 1962 "