As I'm sure you are aware, there has been a huge amount of attention directed towards Members of Parliament's allowances and the abuses of the expenses system that have been revealed. People have rightly been outraged by some of these revelations and it is the responsibility of all MPs to ensure that the system at Westminster is made more transparent and accountable, in order to regain people's trust and reassert the important role of Parliament in our political system.
MPs should never forget that being elected to Parliament is a great privilege and that our main purpose and responsibility is to represent our constituents at Westminster. The nature of the job does require MPs to work long hours and spend a lot of time away from their main homes and their families, and the majority of MPs use their allowances in an honest and genuine way, in order to help them perform their duties effectively.
However, I agree that any abuse of the allowance system is completely unnacceptable and I fully understand the anger that is clearly evident across the country. It is clear that reforms need to be made and I will support any measures that make our Parliamentary system more open and accountable.
I have decided to publish the allowance claims that I have made for the last four years, and I feel that these claims were all made in order to genuinely support my work as the MP for Edmonton. I would also like to make it clear that since I was elected in 1997 I have never received an income from any additional employment, that I have never employed any family members and that I have not 'flipped' the designation of my second residence to maximise my allowance claims.
Please click on the links below to see all of the documentation related to to my allowances. Some of the information has been obscured in order to maintain the privacy of my staff and any suppliers or businesses that I have dealt with, but all of the relevant information relating to any claims I have made is still available.
The allowances cover a number of different expenses that Members of Parliament incur in order to carry out their duties. These include the salaries paid to staff employed to support them in their work, the rent and utility bills at a constituency office, stationery and supplies required to deal with constituent's enquiries and a communications allowance that allows MPs to distribute information to their constituents and maintain up to date websites.
A detailed breakdown of my allowances is also available on the 'They Work for You' website, which can be accessed here.