Winchester MP Steve Brine tops list of MP's expenses claims in Hampshire (From This is Hampshire)
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Winchester MP Steve Brine tops list of MP's expenses claims in Hampshire
10:09am Saturday 15th September 2012 in News
By Andrew Napier
Winchester MP Steve Brine tops list of MP's expenses claims in Hampshire
IT is one league table that Winchester MP Steve Brine may not wish he was top of.
He has the highest expense claims of any Hampshire MP in new figures released.
Mr Brine claimed £142,083, whilst the lowest was New Forest West MP Desmond Swayne on £86,894.
He said: “I am not a man of independent wealth. I claim what I need to claim to represent Winchester which is a very busy and very large constituency.”
Mr Brine pointed out that he pays high rent on his shop in Stockbridge Road, Fulflood, that helps make him accessible to the public.
“I aim to be the most open and accessible MP in Winchester history and to be a first-class constituency MP, like my predecessor. Some people do not have to claim but I am not a person of personal wealth.”
Expenses are managed by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, which was set up in the wake of the 2009 scandal which saw MPs castigated for bizarre claims and “flipping” their second homes to maximise profit.
Sir Ian Kennedy, IPSA chairman, said expenses claims were now published every month following the “shocking” reports in 2009.
He said three things were clear from yesterday’s publication.
“First, the expenses scandal is behind us. Remember what it was like – report after report of MPs claiming for all sorts of things; ‘flipping’ homes; no system of scrutiny; and all this behind closed doors. That world is behind us. We have overhauled the system and the expenses scandal is clearly history.
“Second, MPs are keeping to the rules. Ninety-nine per cent of claims are within the new rules. So it isn’t just us doing our job – MPs are behaving responsibly and claiming within the rules.
“Third, we are talking about significant sums of money. We should be clear about this. We are publishing the details of £89m worth of costs and expenses – about the same like-for-like sum as last year.”
Sir Ian said people had to expect a cost if they wanted a service from MPs, pointing out that the majority of the outlay related to staffing offices.
He added: “If we want a good service from our MPs, we have to fund them. And if you don’t think you get a good service from your MP, the answer is not to withhold funding – it is to use your vote.”
Comments(7)
Peterv11
says...
6:44pm Sat 15 Sep 12
John L Bell wrote:Hands up anyone else in these times of 'austerity' who has had a similar sized increase in income in these times of 'austerity'!
I am a FULL taxpaying voter (rather an unknown concept for some politicians!) who has been studying the expenses claims (fraudulent and otherwise!) since the Conway Scandal in the last Fraudsters' Parliament!
My blog has picked up a number of articles, similar to this one, in a number of local and regional newspapers across the country in which it is claimed that expenses fiddles are a thing of the past!
I have found only one, so far, which mentions that the expenses claimed have increased 26% from the baseline in 2010-11! Not a lot of 'austerity', 'belt tightening' or 'all in this together' evident in that statistic, I would humbly suggest!
Nowhere has it been mentioned that another increase in MPs' allowances/expenses 'fiddle money' was announced (VERY quietly!!!) a few weeks BEFORE the Budget which affected the rest of us! Thus it is possible that the figures for 2012-13 will be 30+% more that the base year 2010-11!
Hands up anyone else in these times of 'austerity' who has had a similar sized increase in income in these times of 'austerity'!
Only one article, so far, has mentioned that there are STILL MPs who place relatives on the public payroll using NOT any recognised commercial and independent selection procedure - other than, apparently, abuse of power!
I would advise any taxpaying citizen voter from assuming all in now well in the Cloud Cuckoo Land that is Westmidden at its best!
I would again, humbly suggest!
Our Olympic athletes for instance.
wheresthemoneygone
says...
12:02pm Mon 17 Sep 12
How does Mr 'Get-around' Brine honestly account for £142,083 for expenses? I don't think I've seen him in a helicopter or use lavish transportation.That'
s £55,189 more than the New Forest MP who probably has more of a claim for extravagant expenses - oh dear he's missing out on my money - but I bet he rectifies this next year.After it seems that expense claims NEVER decrease.
cardinalfang
says...
1:08pm Tue 18 Sep 12
I see that Mr Brine spent over £18,000 on accommodation last year, that's for someone who is a less than an hour's commute to London. I wonder which 5 star hotel that was he stayed at because he didn't fancy getting the late train home? And over £3,000 on travel, the rest of us have to pay to get to work. At least he isn't paying a member of his family as staff, perhaps that'll come next year.
And what does he do for the money? Turns up for photo opportunities and shakes hands. There is not one concrete change or improvement for Winchester that is entirely down to him. I can't imagine any other walk of life outside of the public sector where you could get that amount of money for effectively achieving nothing.
wheresthemoneygone
says...
10:36am Wed 19 Sep 12
, they remain safeguarded and their cash ring-fenced while we have to wade around in the mess that they've partly created largely through self interest and incompetence.
Politicians do actually have a wage but treat this with contempt with expenses claims almost doubling wages in some cases.They should be able to cope within the limit of their wages (with high level duty exceptions of course) and the fuss about expenses would not exist.
The problem with expenses still exists and shouldn't be allowed to be so easily dismissed by flip politicians or their mouthpieces.And they still refuse to accept and understand how the majority of people live.
singinglady
says...
10:58am Wed 19 Sep 12
cardinalfang
says...
8:55am Fri 21 Sep 12
A few years in office will soon sort that out. Nice pension and pay off when he steps down, plus we get to pay his mortgage, travel and living costs while he is in office. Should be able to tuck some savings away over the next few years then.
The politicians of this country are so far out of touch with the voters' point of view. You only have to listen to recordings of parliament to hear the schoolboy antics, name calling and the endless drivel about who did what. No wonder party membership is at an all time low and voters are so disenfranchised.
They don't represent us and will happily sell us all down the river with higher taxes, whilst they hand out our money to layabouts and foreign despots and then cream off even more in expenses.
I really wish elections had a "None of the above" option to show how much we detest them all.
John L Bell says...
12:03pm Sat 15 Sep 12
My blog has picked up a number of articles, similar to this one, in a number of local and regional newspapers across the country in which it is claimed that expenses fiddles are a thing of the past!
I have found only one, so far, which mentions that the expenses claimed have increased 26% from the baseline in 2010-11! Not a lot of 'austerity', 'belt tightening' or 'all in this together' evident in that statistic, I would humbly suggest!
Nowhere has it been mentioned that another increase in MPs' allowances/expenses 'fiddle money' was announced (VERY quietly!!!) a few weeks BEFORE the Budget which affected the rest of us! Thus it is possible that the figures for 2012-13 will be 30+% more that the base year 2010-11!
Hands up anyone else in these times of 'austerity' who has had a similar sized increase in income in these times of 'austerity'!
Only one article, so far, has mentioned that there are STILL MPs who place relatives on the public payroll using NOT any recognised commercial and independent selection procedure - other than, apparently, abuse of power!
I would advise any taxpaying citizen voter from assuming all in now well in the Cloud Cuckoo Land that is Westmidden at its best!
I would again, humbly suggest!