Brent Labour MPs Under Fire Over Second Homes

12.09.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 26th Oct 2007

Local people in Brent were shocked to learn that the borough's Labour MPs are continuing to take taxpayer's money to fund a second home.

Brent South MP Dawn Butler last year claimed £21,803, and Brent North MP Barry Gardiner claimed £22,110, to cover the "cost of staying away from main home". This puts both MPs amongst the highest in London.

The combined cost of Brent's Labour MPs' second home allowance last year could have housed two local people for 11 and a half years. 17,351 households in Brent are on the housing register, including 1 in 10 children in the borough.

The second home allowance is intended for MPs whose constituencies are beyond commuting distance from Parliament. Brent's Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather claimed £0 from the second home allowance.

James Allie, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Alperton and Brent Council's Executive Member for Housing, said:

"It is this kind of behaviour that gives politicians a bad name. The second home allowance is meant for MPs who live too far away to commute to Westminster. There is no conceivable reason why taxpayers should be paying a fortune to house London-based Labour MPs.

"Taxpayers money should be spent on housing the poor and the vulnerable. Why should Labour MPs enjoy two places to live, while so many people in our borough are struggling to make ends meet?

"MPs are there to serve the public, not their bank managers. Brent's Labour MPs should do the decent thing and hand back their second home allowance."

Notes:

The Additional Costs Allowance (cost of staying away from main home/ ACA) is paid to reimburse Members for necessary costs incurred when staying overnight away from their main home for the purpose of performing parliamentary duties. Dawn Butler MP claimed £21,803 while Barry Gardiner MP claimed £22,110.

Sarah Teather MP did not claim this allowance, as she has just one home in Willesden Green. Sarah claims the much lower London Supplement of £2712.

http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/HoCallowances0607.pdf

A 1 bedroom flat on College Road in Kensal Green was this week being advertised at £69.87 per week.

Answer to Parliamentary Question by Liberal Democrat MP Paul Burstow showing the number of families on the Housing Waiting List in April 2005:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm051207/text/51207w44.htm#51207w44.html_wqn6

Answer to Parliamentary Question by Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone showing the number of new social homes built in London:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070321/text/70321w0018.htm#07032187001030