MP added £1,750 'petty cash' to expenses bill

Published on Saturday 6 June 2009 19:53

A SCOTTISH Labour MP claimed nearly £2,000 in "petty cash" over a nine-month period for the cost of living in London despite billing the taxpayer thousands of pounds more for food and the upkeep of his flat there.

John Robertson, who succeeded the late Donald Dewar as MP for Glasgow North West in 2000, claimed 1,750 between April and December 2004 as "cash in hand", before the practice was stopped by House of Commons officials.

Robertson said last night that the cash was for "ad hoc" costs incurred in the day-to-day running of his home and his taxpayer-funded office at Westminster.

But his expenses show that, over the same period, he separately claimed 1,600 back for the cost of cleaning his London residence, 115 on telephone and utilities, and a further 6,700 on rent. On top of this, Robertson also claimed 6,300 for the cost of food.

The charges ensured that in the financial year concerned, 2004-05, his second home costs hit the maximum possible allowed sum of 20,902.