Southend West Conservative MP David Amess’ expenses were published yesterday on a government website.
Since then, rival candidates for his seat have called for explanations of his expenditure.
Liberal Democrat candidate Peter Welch sent a letter to Mr Amess last night, outlining his questions about the expenses.
Mr Welch wrote:
“You are one of a group of just 32 MPs to have claimed the maximum for food; £400 month in, month out, with no sign of a receipt, and regardless of whether parliament was sitting or not.
“Your charge for mortgage costs is £600 month in month out, and again no document has been published to support this claim.
“All the other claims are for round figures below the £250 point where receipts have to be produced (I note that some bills are available).
“Essentially you appear to have received around £60,000 over the last three years, without being required to publish supporting documentation.”
Mr Welch went further to question Mr Amess’ other expenditure, as outlined in his Incidental Expenses Provision paperwork.
Here, Mr Welch had further questions about the services Mr Amess had paid for on government expenses:
“There are regular payments to something called ‘Westminster Consultancy’ for sums in amounting to tens of thousands of pounds,” Mr Welch writes.
“The published invoices are handwritten, do not give a VAT number, and give only the vaguest indication of the services provided.
“Who is ‘Westminster Consultancy’? What are their tax arrangements?”
Further, Mr Welch raised questions of the propriety of the money Mr Amess has paid to the Southend West Conservative Association:
“There are regular payments to Southend West Conservatives.
“These have risen from £3500 in 2004/2005 to £4750 in 2007/2008.
“The payments are said to be for the cost of the use of the hall and office space.
“But the accounts of Southend West Conservative Association do not provide an explanation for such an increase in costs, do not explain why these figures should be charged, and do not record any such income in 2004 or in 2005.
“Where did the money go for those years?
“Does the money you have passed from taxpayer to your association really represent State Aid for your political campaigning?”
Mr Amess gave the following statement in response to questioning from CouncilBust.com over his expenses in general:
“All the claims that I have made since I was first elected to Parliament in June 1983 have been made in good faith and I have always consulted the Fees Office about their appropriateness.
“The range of allowances has also increased.
“I absolutely agree with David Cameron that we have to acknowledge just how bad this situation is and just how angry the public are.
“We have to start by saying the system we had and used was wrong and that we are sorry about that.
“We should support an independent audit.
“That would be a step towards rebuilding the trust between Parliament and the people it’s meant to represent.”
I am disgusted with our MP’S and their greed. Why shouls any MP within commute of London be entitled to a second home. Thats of course before Mr Amess had spent all this other money such as the £100 PER WEEK ON FOOD.
Mr Amess should resign now, he can no longer commend the respect of the electorate after this especially running away from local journalists and refusing tio hold public meetings.
GO GO GO NOW PLEASE.
John Carr
[...] Amess refuses to respond to letter from Lib Dem MP Last week, Liberal Democrat candidate for Southend West Peter Welch sent David Amess a letter asking him to explain various points in his expenses paperwork. [...]