Bradford’s MPs are repaying a total of almost £10,000 to the taxpayer after an audit of parliamentary expenses.
The report by Sir Thomas Legg, who was called to scrutinise every MP’s expense claim under the second-home allowance in the past five years, has demanded 390 MPs – more than half – repay a total of £1.12 million.
Bradford West MP Marsha Singh must refund more than £5,000, mainly for overpayment of mortgage interest payments, and Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe is writing a cheque for £2,700 for claiming capital and interest rather than just interest for two months.
Keighley MP Ann Cryer has already paid nearly £1,600 for items for her second home deemed too expensive. Bradford North MP Terry Rooney has also paid out nearly £300 for overpayment of mortgage interest, which he disputed but did not appeal against.
Shipley MP Philip Davies was asked for £232 for putting his telephone calls for the constituency on the wrong form but he won an appeal and did not have to repay any money.
Mr Singh said: “I have not had the chance to go through every single detail so I am not sure it is correct.
“I am, however, happy to pay it. No claims were nefarious, it was mortgage interest. The £500 phone bill should have been put through office cost expenses. I will repay everything I owe.”
Mr Sutcliffe said: “My payments relate to two months when I claimed the wrong amount as there were two totals on the form. If I had known, I would have paid it back straightaway in 2004.
“As for my phone bill, I should have claimed on office costs. My calculations were not right on some claims and I am happy to pay back the full amount.”
Mrs Cryer said she wanted to appeal to clear her name. She said: “The reasons I moved to a larger flat was about my late husband having cancer. I needed somewhere bigger because I had a studio before, so that he could come down and spend time with me.
“Therefore I rented the flat from my son-in-law and I had the approval of the fees office to do that. They checked the rent was right with estate agents. I couldn’t have been more honest.
“What Sir Thomas Legg said about me was not just unfair, it was almost defamatory. Therefore I had to clear my name.”
The six MPs who represent constituencies which neighbour the Bradford district are collectively repaying a further £6,700.
What your MPs are being asked to repay
Bradford West MP Marsha Singh (Lab)
Overpaid £4,505.44 in mortgage interest between 2004 and 2009. Also claimed £521.40 for phone bills in wrong category. Total repayment recommended, £5,026.84
Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe (Lab)
Overpaid £2,361 in mortgage interest in 2004/05, representing the capital element of the mortgage loan. Claimed £125.14 for phone bills under wrong category. Overpaid £300 on miscalculated claims in the five years of the review. Total repayment recommended: £2,786.14
Bradford North MP Terry Rooney (Lab)
Overpaid by £297.02 for mortgage interest between 2005 and 2009. Total repayment recommended: £297.02. Total paid: £297.02
Shipley MP Philip Davies (Con)
Was paid £232.64 in May 2005 for a telephone and answer machine, telephone line installation and telephone and broadband line rental for his constituency office. Expenses claimed under wrong form. Mr Davies appealed as he claimed under the wrong section of expenses. He won his appeal and will not have to repay any money.
Keighley MP Ann Cryer (Lab)
Paid a total of £16,646.45 for rental between April 2004 and July 2005 of a flat from her son-in-law. She was also paid £2,973.50 for furnishings, including £1,350 for a table, £795 for a rug. They exceeded the guideline prices of £660 and £330 respectively. She was also overpaid by £441.25 for a carpet. Mrs Cryer won her appeal saying she had done nothing wrong renting the property and was told to repay the difference for the furnishings. Total repayment recommended: £1,596.25. Total paid: £1,596.25
Halifax MP Linda Riordan (Lab)
Overpaid £2,021.81 for mortgage interest in 2008/09. Paid £150 twice for ground rent in October/November 2008. Total repayment recommended: £2,171.81. Total paid: £2,171.81
Batley and Spen MP Mike Wood (Lab)
Paid twice £1,076 for a service charge in 2006/07. He was paid twice for a gas bill totalling £323.83.
Total repayment recommended: £1,399.83. Total paid: £1,399.83
Calder Valley MP Chris McCafferty (Lab)
Overpaid £818.81 mortgage interest for 2004/05. She also paid £1,481 for a fitted wardrobe, above the guideline price of £770. Total repayment recommended: £1,529.81. Total paid: £3,666.95
Skipton and Ripon MP David Curry (Con)
Paid a total of £8,512.75 in 2008 for professional advice and renovations to his second home. Out of this total, £3,483.29 was for the work, while £5,029.46 was paid to a firm of consulting engineers for professional services, technical advice and project management. The latter payment was deemed excessive, and Mr Curry told to repay one-third of it.
Total repayment recommended: £1,676.48. Total paid: £1,676.48
Leeds North West MP Greg Mulholland (Lib-Dem)
No repayments requested.
Pudsey MP Paul Truswell (Lab)
No repayments requested.
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