Croydon South MP refuses to comment on his £21,481 of expenses
By Neil Millard
neil.millard@essnmedia.co.uk
Croydon South MP Richard Ottaway has this week refused to talk about the £21,481 he claimed towards his second home over 12 months.
With Parliament in meltdown over revelations about MPs expenses claims, Croydon's three MPs have so far not had details of their claims revealed.
But what is known is that Mr Ottaway is the only one of the three to have a second home - despite his Croydon constituency being just 12 miles from Westminster.
He chooses to live outside his constituency, in Bletchingley, Surrey, and has a second home nearer Parliament.
In the financial year ending in March 2008, he claimed £21,481 towards his second home.
This week we asked all three MPs to reveal their own expenses claims.
But Tory Mr Ottaway said: "I'm not going to comment on my expenses.
"I've got nothing else to say."
Over the 2007/08 financial year he claimed a total of £145,373 in expenses, including £15,484 on his office, £87,151 on staffing and £2,915 on travel costs.
Croydon Central MP Andrew Pelling was not saying much either despite claiming the least in expenses out of Croydon's MPs.
He said: "My position in each year's league table of expenditures has been 600th and 625th out of 646 MPs."
For the year ending March 2008 Mr Pelling, who lives in South Croydon, claimed no second home allowance.
But he received the London Supplement, a bonus for MPs living in London, of £2,812.
The Croydon Central MP claimed a total of £106,873 for the year in question, which included £10,244 to pay for his office and £79,226 for staffing. He claimed only £22 in travel expenses.
Malcolm Wicks, MP for Croydon North, said: My conscience is clear. There are no remembrance wreaths in there, no boxes of champagne. It's boring stuff like rent and rates.
"Obviously I get an allowance to pay for staff salaries. I don't think that's contentious."
Mr Wicks, who lives in Sanderstead, which ironically is in Mr Ottaway's constituency, claimed no second home allowance but also received the London Supplement.
He spent £21,003 on his office, £90,747 on staffing and £196 on travel, in a total of £131,601.
The House of Commons Commission is due to release details of all MPs' expenses in mid-July.
21 Comments
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by ron, selsdon
Sunday, May 17 2009, 9:31AM
“I was going to vote tory on june 4th but i'm going to rip up my polling card after reading this!!”
by Prescott, you know where
Saturday, May 16 2009, 3:03PM
“Harold get stuffed!!”
by Harold J Turnbull, Croydon
Saturday, May 16 2009, 11:59AM
“Might I ask all contributors to this page to heed the advice of the (honorable) Mr Pelling and his colleagues,that we all excercise restraint in these difficult times.”
by Tina, Croydon
Saturday, May 16 2009, 11:40AM
“I agree with Karen,but how strange is this,we, the voters ,thanking certain MPs for being honest.”
by Sebastion Atmore, South Croydon
Saturday, May 16 2009, 11:30AM
“So Ottaway is taking £208,373 pounds a year from the Public purse,and whilst thinking of ways to spend that sum,gets £50,000 a year from his part time job,a total of some £258,373,is there any wonder why he refuses to talk, he is far too busy counting his ill gotten gains, the sooner he and the rest of his mob of gangsters are no more ,the better.”
by Karen, Croydon
Saturday, May 16 2009, 11:20AM
“Well done Malcolm Wicks and Andrew Pelling for their honesty. Richard Ottoway is in the minority party in government, he holds no position of importance so why he needs a home in London is beyond me and every hard working person I know. He at least should give his electorate an explanation. His no comment arrogant answer is not good enough.”
by Anthony Bartlett, South Croydon
Saturday, May 16 2009, 10:31AM
“Claiming for second homes,etc,etc, MAY be within the rules these Parasites set for themselves,but claiming for a non existant mortgage is FRAUD plain and simple,the Police must take action,as for our local parasite lets rid of him as quickly as possible, Ieave him to scrape by on the £45/50 thousand pounds a year he gets from his second job.”
by lloyd, N.Addington
Saturday, May 16 2009, 9:01AM
“Shoot the lot of them. They are all out of touch with reality they move in different circles to everyone else, they think they are some sort of crak - celebrity or something. So there for shoot the lot of them??”
by Sally & Ryan, Croydon
Saturday, May 16 2009, 8:10AM
“This is Fraud, purely and simply. Why doesn't the man get public transport? Too important for it is he? Clearly he's getting rich off the system. This level of narcissism amongst politicians beggars belief. I think it's time to bring the house down.”
by RHM, Croydon
Saturday, May 16 2009, 7:46AM
“I am having difficulty trying to work out which is worse, those on the gravy train refusing to account for themselves or those who insult our intelligence by fobbing off the voters with palpable lies. Get it off your chest Ottaway, you'll feel better for it!”