Expenses: MP Maria reveals all (From Basingstoke Gazette)
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Expenses: MP Maria reveals all
11:00am Monday 18th May 2009 in News By David Connop Price
Basingstoke's member of parliament Maria Miller talks to the Gazette's chief reporter David Connop Price about her expenses claim
MP MARIA Miller has revealed her allowances claims to The Gazette in a bid to show the people of Basingstoke that she still deserves their trust.
The scandal over the expenses system and its alleged abuse by some Members of Parliament, from all sides of the House of Commons, has prompted public outrage, apologies, suspensions and some hurried repayments.
Now Mrs Miller has decided that the people who she serves deserve to know exactly what she has claimed sooner rather than later – and that is why she came to The Gazette and opened three huge files and two smaller folders of allowance claims to our scrutiny.
The Conservative politician said: “The reason why I have come to The Gazette with all the papers is because it’s only by being completely transparent that we (MPs) can rebuild trust and people can have confidence in our elected representatives.”
Mrs Miller said the total sums claimed by MPs had been available for two years and the finer details were likely to be made public next month, but this process was being held up while personal information about staff is removed.
“I’m not prepared to accept that delay,” she said. “I think people in Basingstoke want reassurance and that’s why I have taken the action that I have.”
Mrs Miller, who became MP for Basingstoke in 2005 with a majority of 4,680, added: “Sharing this information, I want to show that I believe transparency is critical to this system in the same way it is a requirement of any business.
“Everything I have claimed for is absolutely in accordance with the system – but I still believe the system needs fundamental change because it is clearly flawed.
“First and foremost, I have made sure the things I have claimed for are the things that I need so that my staff and I can do the job that the people of Basingstoke expect me to do.”
For the full story of Maria Miller's expenses and allowances see today's Gazette.
Comments(6)
ps410005
says...
6:43pm Wed 20 May 09
I am Glad to see that on the face of it Maria is not taking advantage of the 'rules'. I hope that she, unlike most MPs, will represent the voters on this whole expenses scandal. I feel that the MP's are standing up for their buddies and forgetting that they should be representing us in all of this.
The commodor
says...
8:09pm Wed 20 May 09
One of the MP's for Reading travels in to London so perhaps Mrs Miller should do the same and not have a second homes allowance.
Markster
says...
5:52am Thu 21 May 09
O.A.P.
says...
5:23pm Thu 21 May 09
JacquesMeahof
says...
9:57am Fri 22 May 09
"The future is not bright under the Tories, they re-invented GREED under the last Conservative govenment. Hence why the country is the mess it is now!"
Priceless.
So the Scottish lot that have been in power since 1997 have nothing to do with it then, that's ok!
Alan, have you just leave school?
alan partridge says...
3:32pm Wed 20 May 09
I have met Mrs Miller many times and she always looks to be working hard, listening, attending events regardless of their importance and she is a very polite lady.
She maybe one of only a few MP's who do this and are worth their wages and perks?
However, the Tories look like a party desparate for power and they are most likely to govern after the next election?
I can again only see GREED in the future.
Greed for the MP's, Greed for the rich
Greed for the opportunists
The future is not bright under the Tories, they re-invented GREED under the last Conservative govenment. Hence why the country is the mess it is now!