Scottish MPs are ordered to repay £103,000

Published on Thursday 4 February 2010 21:41

SCOTTISH MPs have been told to pay back a total of £103,000 in claimed expenses.

Sir Thomas Legg demanded 38 Scottish MPs – including Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy – return money they incorrectly claimed.

Two Scottish MPs – Ian Davidson and Frank Roy, both Labour – appealed against the original demands and had the amount they had to return reduced.

However, there was confusion over the amount owed by former Strathkelvin and Bearsden Labour MP John Lyons. Sir Thomas demanded almost 19,000 back in mortgage payments, explaining he had no choice because he had been unable to contact Mr Lyons.

However, Mr Lyons told The Scotsman the first he heard about the repayment was when his sister called him yesterday after he had attended a funeral.

"She told me it was on the radio," he said. "I don't understand why Sir Thomas was unable to contact me, because parliament has my address to send me my pension statements and the House magazine every month.

"This is typical of the shambolic way this matter seems to have been handled. All I claimed for was my mortgage interest on the flat I purchased in London, which was well within the rules."

It is understood he has been given an extension to appeal his case to the end of February and has contacted Sir Thomas to arrange an urgent meeting.

There was also confusion over a claim made by the SNP's Alex Salmond that he was the only party leader not to be asked to pay anything back. It also featured in an SNP press release. However, neither Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams nor the DUP's Peter Robinson were asked for any money back.

Who owes what

Danny Alexander

Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey, Lib Dem.

Mr Alexander was overpaid 40.83 for utilities and 4.75 for insurance in 2008-9. He was paid 125 in April 2007 for financial planning advice, which is not allowable. He was paid 781 for council tax in 2007-8. This was 120.24 in excess of council tax charged in that year.

Total repayment recommended: 290.82

Gordon Brown

Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath, Labour. The PM was paid a total of 21,189.53 for cleaning costs between April 2004 and March 2009, exceeding the maximum allowable by 11,189.53. He was also paid 1,396 twice in April and July 2006 for redecoration. He was further paid 1,302.50 in 2007-8 for garden maintenance, exceeding the allowable maximum by 302.50.

Total repayment recommended: 12,888.03

Russell Brown

Dumfries & Galloway, Labour.

Mr Brown was paid for 13 months' rent in 2008-9, resulting in an overpayment of 1,146.63.

Total repayment recommended: 1,146.63

Malcolm Bruce

Gordon, Lib Dem.

Mr Bruce was paid a total of 622 twice for insurance in October 2004 and September 2006.

Total repayment recommended: 622.00

David Cairns

Inverclyde, Labour.

Mr Cairns was overpaid by a total of 2,782.30 for his service charge and parking space for January to June 2007.

Total repayment recommended: 2,782.30

Sir Menzies Campbell

NE Fife, Lib Dem. Sir Menzies was paid 1,490.66 over 2006-8 for the services of an interior designer, which are regarded as unnecessary.

Total repayment recommended: 1,490.66

Alistair Carmichael

Orkney & Shetland, Lib Dem.

Mr Carmichael was paid a total of 243.90 twice for three items: phone bill in September 2005, 70.12; phone bill in December 2005, 42.28; and TV licence in July 2006, 131.50. He was also paid 90 for legal costs associated with non-payment of council tax in 2007-8 and 146.88 legal fees due to late payment of service charge/ground rent in May 2007. These costs were not allowable.

Total repayment recommended: 480.78

Katy Clark

North Ayrshire & Arran, Labour.

Ms Clark was paid a total of 336.39 between November 2006 and January 2007 for mobile bills and accessories, which are not allowable under the ACA. She was also paid 446.50 in January 2007 for removal expenses, which was also not allowable.

Total repayment recommended: 782.89

Michael Connarty

Linlithgow & East Falkirk, Lab.

Mr Connarty was overpaid by 309.02 for service charges during 2004-5. He was also overpaid by 4,872.54 for mortgage interest for 2004-5 and 2005-6.

Total repayment recommended: 5,181.56

Alistair Darling

Edinburgh SW, Labour. The Chancellor was paid 1,104 for a chest of drawers in February 2007. That exceeded the guideline price of 550 by 554.

Total repayment recommended: 554.00

Ian Davidson

Glasgow SW, Labour.

Mr Davidson was overpaid 474.47 for mortgage interest in 2007-8. He was paid a total of 120 for court costs associated with non-payment of council tax. He was also overpaid by 646.92 for council tax in 2007-8.

Total repayment recommended: 1,241.39 Reduced on appeal by: 474.47

Jim Devine

Livingston, Labour.

Mr Devine was not asked to pay anything back, but has been barred from standing again as a Labour candidate because of issues with his expenses. Sir Thomas Legg said he did not look at expenses which were already under investigation by other authorities.

Nigel Griffiths, JP

Edinburgh South, Labour. Mr Griffiths was overpaid by a total of 4,005.84 for mortgage interest between 2004 and 2007. Mr Griffiths' mortgage lender has acknowledged that the interest calculations it provided to the MP, and were used as the basis of his claims, contained errors. The mortgage lender is therefore arranging to reimburse the Commons directly for this element, which has yet to be determined.

Total repayment recommended: 4,005.84

David Hamilton

Midlothian, Labour.

Mr Hamilton was overpaid by a total of 2,595.51 for mortgage interest from 2004-9.

Total repayment recommended: 2,595.51

Jimmy Hood

Lanark & Hamilton East, Labour. Mr Hood was overpaid a total of 1,185 in 2006-7 (for the following items: 400 for food, 80 for utilities, 75 for council tax, 100 for telephone and telecommunications, 200 for cleaning, 200 for service/maintenance and 130 for repairs, insurance, security).

He was also overpaid by a total of 3,783.35 for mortgage interest from 2004-6. He was further overpaid by 445.14 for mortgage interest in 2006-7.

Total repayment recommended: 5,413.49

Stewart Hosie

Dundee East, SNP.

Mr Hosie was paid 379.45 in February 2009 for staying in a hotel when his home was flooded. This cost should have been reclaimed on insurance.

Total repayment recommended: 379.45

Eric Joyce

Falkirk, Labour.

Mr Joyce was overpaid by a total of 5,002.56 for mortgage interest from 2004-8. In addition, Mr Joyce was paid twice for a claim of 3,000 for mortgage interest for the period November to December 2007.

He was also paid twice in the same period for council tax, cleaning and service/maintenance claims totalling 600.

Total repayment recommended: 8,602.56

Angus MacNeil

Na h-Eileanan An Iar, SNP. Mr MacNeil was overpaid by 133 for council tax in 2007-8.

Total repayment recommended: 133.00

Jim McGovern

Dundee West, Labour.

Mr McGovern was overpaid by 266.54 in December 2005 for furnishings and hardware.

Total repayment recommended: 266.54

Rosemary McKenna

Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East, Labour. Mrs McKenna was overpaid by a total of 3,008.93 for rent from 2005-8.

Total repayment recommended: 3,008.93

Anne Moffat

East Lothian, Labour.

Ms Moffat was overpaid by 1,617.09 for mortgage interest in 2008-9. She was also paid a total of 1,256.44 in 2008-9 for items that related to her main home (152.16 for insurance, 476.09 for telephone bills and 628.19 for a Sky package).

Total repayment recommended: 2,873.53

David Mundell

Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale, Conservative.

The shadow Scottish secretary was paid for 13 months of rent in 2006-7. This included a payment for rent for March 2006, which was not identified as such and which had not been included in claims for 2005-6. The overpayment was 1,300.

Total repayment recommended: 1,300.00

Jim Murphy

East Renfrewshire, Labour. The Scottish Secretary was overpaid a total of 197.46 for mortgage interest over two years of the review period (9.94 in 2004-5; 187.52 in 2006-7). He was also paid 380 twice for food in May 2004.

Total repayment recommended: 577.46

Sandra Osborne

Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock, Labour.

Mrs Osborne was paid a total of 1,343.50 twice in April 2004 (749 for furniture, 544.50 for council tax, and 50 for utilities). She was also overpaid by 1,268.62 for rent in 2005-6.

Total repayment recommended: 2,612.12

John Reid

Airdrie & Shotts, Labour.

Dr Reid was paid 1,410 twice in April 2007. In July 2007, he was paid 1,179.63 for removal costs. 975.00 of this was used for the transfer of furniture to a residence in Ireland, which was not an allowable expense.

In April 2008, he was paid 346.88 for marketing the previous second home, which was also not allowable.

Total repayment recommended: 2,731.88

William Rennie

Dunfermline & West Fife, Lib Dem.

Mr Rennie was overpaid a total of 123.10 through duplicate payments for electricity in 2006-7. He was also overpaid a total of 2,450 through duplicated payments for rent (1,250 in March 2006 and 1,200 in January 2007).

Total repayment recommended: 2,573.10

Angus Robertson

Moray, SNP. The SNP's Westminster leader was paid 2,324 in February 2006 for a leather bed settee, exceeding what was necessary by 1,114. He was further overpaid by 103 in 2007-8 for a DVD player.

Total repayment recommended: 1,217.00

John Robertson

Glasgow NW, Labour.

Mr Robertson was paid a total of 1,750 in petty cash between April and November 2004. This was not an allowable expense under the Green Book rules.

He was paid a total of 7,225 for cleaning costs. These exceeded 2,000 a year by a total of 1,225.

Total repayment recommended: 2,975.00

Frank Roy

Motherwell & Wishaw, Labour.

Overpaid by 545.79 for mortgage interest in 2005-6.

Total repayment recommended: 545.79 Reduced on appeal by: 545.79

Mohammad Sarwar

Glasgow Central, Labour. Mr Sarwar was paid a total of 123.83 twice for telephone bills in 2005-6. He was also paid 122.12 in February 2005 for mobile phone bills, which are not allowable under the ACA, although they could be claimed under the Incidental Expenses Provision.

Total repayment recommended: 245.95

Jim Sheridan

Paisley & Renfrewshire North, Labour.

Mr Sheridan was overpaid by 200 for food in October 2008.

He was also overpaid by 200 for council tax in May-June 2005.

Total repayment recommended: 400.00

John Thurso

Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross, Lib Dem.

Mr Thurso was overpaid a total of 548.21 for council tax in three years (297.95 in 2005-6; 175.10 in 2006-7; and 75.16 in 2007-8).

Total repayment recommended: 548.21

Peter Wishart

Perth & North Perthshire, SNP.

Mr Wishart was overpaid by 1,408.53 for rent in 2007-8.

He was also overpaid a total of 223.97 in 2008-9 (66.11 for a telephone bill, and 157.86 for an electricity bill).

Total repayment recommended: 1,632.50