City Labour figures back Darling in row over his expenses

Published on Tuesday 2 June 2009 10:15

SENIOR Labour figures in Chancellor Alistair Darling's Edinburgh South-West constituency today rallied to the defence of their MP as the row over his Commons expenses rumbled on.

Councillor Andrew Burns, Mr Darling's agent at the past two elections, said there was no prospect of him not being the candidate in the seat at the next election.

He said: "He is an extremely popular and hard-working local MP. He is highly regarded locally both as Chancellor and a constituency MP. His position locally is very secure."

Mr Darling yesterday said he was paying back 700 of expenses for service charges on his south London flat after allegations in the Daily Telegraph that he had claimed allowances on two homes at once. The paper reported that in July 2007, ten days after becoming Chancellor, Mr Darling submitted a 1,004 claim for service charges on the flat up to December of that year.

Mr Darling said it was untrue that he claimed for two homes at the same time. He became Chancellor in June 2007, moved into Downing Street in September and made no further claims on his London flat after that.

"In October 2007 the flat was let and the tenant moved in. The service charge was paid in advance in six-monthly intervals. When I reclaimed the cost of the service charge in July, I was living in the flat," he said.

"However, because the service charge covered the period beyond September until December, I will repay the service charge from September to December."

Mr Darling has also been accused by the Telegraph of "flipping" his second home four times in four years, allowing him to claim towards the cost of his Edinburgh home and his London flat.

His spokeswoman said: "He changed the designation of his second home when his circumstances changed, in accordance with the rules. He also pays tax on the benefit of living in Downing Street and pays council tax there."

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Vince Cable called at the weekend for the Chancellor to resign and there is speculation he could be moved in a reshuffle after this week's European elections.

Ricky Henderson, a councillor for Pentlands Hills in the constituency, said: "

It doesn't look as if Alistair is guilty of milking the system. Within the Labour Party people know him as a good MP."

Former councillor Andrew Scobbie said: "He is a really sound chap who works very hard and he's a really talented guy. I'm 100 per cent behind him."

'It's a joke … I think he should go, they all should'

"POLITICIANS like Alistair Darling should be setting a good example, not abusing the system."

Shopkeeper Wajhat Hussain, 31, is manager of Alizy News, on Queensferry Street.

He is one of many businessmen and women working metres from the Chancellor's constituency office on Rutland Square, outraged at suggestions the MP has been caught with his fingers in the till.

"It's shameful," he says. "I just don't trust MPs at all now."

Further down the road, into Darling's Edinburgh South West constituency, Kevin Sangster, 30, the owner of Baguette Express on Gorgie Road agrees: "It's so disappointing. If this all turns out to be true, then he should definitely resign."

Other voters seem equally angry."It's a joke," student Alisdair Hall, 22, from Gorgie, says. "It makes me not want to vote for anyone at all. I think Alistair Darling should go – they all should."

Further into the constituency, 81-year-old Evelyn Mitchell, from Gorgie, stands with daughter Glynn Currie, 50, pictured below, a former licensee of the Jolly Judge Pub, in the Lawnmarket, where she says Darling was an occasional visitor.

"All of these politicians have a brass neck," says Ms Currie. "Especially in times like this. The sad things is, a lot of this will have been going on for years."

One businesswoman, near his constituency office, believes a fair examination of the accusations against him should be made. "If he did break the rules, he should resign," says Sam Withall, owner of Sam Thomas clothing, on Stafford Street.