Leicester MP Keith Vaz amongst 'expenses' accuses

May 10 2009 by Paul Bradley, Sunday Mercury

MIDLAND MP Keith Vaz has been named among the latest group of politicians accused of milking the parliamentary expenses system.

The Leicester East MP claimed more than £75,000 for a flat in Westminster – despite his family home being a £1.15 million house just 12 miles from Parliament.

Under the second homes allowance, politicians are allowed to claim up to £24,222-a-year to run a second property.

The scheme is designed to help them live nearer to Westminster so they can carry out their parliamentary duties, without having to travel hundreds of miles to their constituency homes.

But Labour MP Mr Vaz continued to claim money for a second home in central London despite his family home in Stanmore, North West London, being a short train journey from the Commons.

The family house, which he lives in with his wife and two children, is less than a mile from the nearest tube station which takes passengers directly to Westminster in just 37 minutes.

Official expenses documents showed that between 2004 and April 2007, Mr Vaz claimed £69,000 for the city centre flat.

Claims included mortgage interest payments of up to £1,750, around £200 in monthly grocery bills and £50 a month for a cleaner.

On May 1 in 2007 he began renting out the flat and designated a Leicester property as his second home.

He then used the allowances scheme to fit the property out with around £16,000 of furniture.

This included £480 on silk cushions, more than £2,000 for two leather armchairs from John Lewis, £1,000 on a dining table and chairs and £750 on carpets.