City leaders ready to come clean over expenses claims

Published on Monday 25 May 2009 10:11

A FULL breakdown of city councillors' expense claims is to be made public for the first time as city leaders face the growing public outcry over MPs' expenses.

It is understood that all of the main political parties are to support a Tory motion to produce an itemised list of all councillors' expenses on a quarterly basis.

The system will be along the lines of that used by the Scottish Parliament, with details published on the council's website.

Last year Edinburgh councillors claimed 57,230 for travel, food, mobile calls and other expenses but a full breakdown of items was not made public.

Although some councillors have come under fire in recent years for excessive taxi bills, senior sources in the city's main parties told the News the breakdown was unlikely to unearth any claims on a par with disclosures at Westminster.

City leader Jenny Dawe today said the move would show Edinburgh's councillors were not "on the same gravy train" as the scores of MPs who have been exposed as abusing the Westminster expense system, while opposition councillors said the move would push down costs.

Councillor Cameron Rose, who has put a motion to next week's full council calling for changes to the expenses system, said: "At a time such as this it is important to provide an open and transparent expenses system.

"Also, it is a clear and established principle that putting this sort of information in the public domain drives down costs."

Claims for 2007-8 varied widely, ranging from 3,554 for Lord Provost George Grubb to zero for Tory councillor Allan Jackson and the SNP's Colin Keir.

Councillor Dawe said: "I have no issue with doing this so long as it does not give anybody's personal details or movements out.

"I think it will help show that councillors in this city are not on the same gravy train other elected representatives seem to be."

Including salaries and expenses, the city's councillors cost a total of 1.2 million in 2007-8.

City finance leader Gordon Mackenzie said: "I would have no problem with releasing this information as long as it is balanced with protecting personal privacy.

"Councillors' expenses do not stretch to anything like the range of items that MPs can claim for."