Lembit hit by expenses row
Wednesday 13th May 2009, 1:30PM BST.
High profile MP Lembit Opik was today dragged into the expenses row after the Liberal Democrats became the latest party hit by damaging revelations about their use of public money.
The Montgomeryshire MP, his party’s housing spokesman, is said to have charged taxpayers for a £40 court summons he received for the non-payment of his council tax. However, he said he would refund it.
Mr Opik said the claim was submitted in May 2006 – not long after his brother Endel’s death in November 2005.
“It is easy to make mistakes like that in times of personal bereavement,” he said. “It is easy to take your eyes off the ball.”
He is also said to have claimed £12,655 for renovation work for his second home in London, including a new kitchen.
Mr Opik said cash was not lavished on the flat, but used to renovate the entire property.
“It had damp, the bay window was falling apart, and when it was raining outside it was raining inside.
“It was the first major renovation in 11 to 12 years, since I moved in,” he said.
“Anything which was costed as an improvement rather than a renovation, was paid for by myself.”
The Fees Office refused a claim for a £2,499 TV and he footed the bill himself, but he later successfully claimed £890 for a smaller set and a new video recorder.
In July last year, he claimed £135 for a triple mirror and coffee table and earlier that year, he had bought another £120 coffee table from an internet retailer, a £139 stool and table set, which were all delivered to his constituency office in Wales.
Mr Opik said the coffee table was later transferred – and on the other occasion there was no-one to receive the items at his flat. He denied any wrongdoing.
“It is a lamentable situation,” he said. “The answer is perfectly obvious, they should do away with the system, except for travel expenses, and let an independent review body set the salary for MPs.
“I hope politicians have the courage to go on and do that.”
By London Reporter Sunita Patel
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Worthy of rebuke, I’m sure, but hardly on the scale of some of the things we’ve seen – claims for swimming pools and moats, and for Francis Maude, a claim for a second home that was just 4 minutes and 28 seconds away from his ‘first’ home at a brisk walk!
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Typical politician – took his eyes off the ball but never took his eyes off the purse during his time of personal berevement!
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Cheeky boy!!!!!!
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My sympathies to Lembit for the period when his brother passed away.
But his response is similar to all other politicians – they just will not see why the public are so annoyed about this. Thousands of people have far worse problems every day – they still have to pay all their utility and council tax bills, because otherwise the gas and electric companies and the councils (spurred on by the Government)will be after them for prompt payment!
Still, all those voters for who Lembit has worked tirelessly will no doubt back him to the hilt at the next election. Maybe.
Never mind – he’s still got his t.v. work to fall back on. And as someone else has said, he doesn’t quite fall into the league that some politicans are currently inhabiting.
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Hmmm. Just seen Opik’s interview with the BBC. He’s quite truculent actually – it was an innocent mistake, he’s the victim of circumstances and unfair reporting, etc etc blah blah blah.
I think on the basis of that interview alone, Opik probably hasn’t done himself much good with his constituents.
Maybe his agent had better start looking out for more episodes of ‘Have I Got News For You’ to appear on – I think he might need the extra work come next year!
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Does anyone trust MP’s anymore???
I for one don’t
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I tried putting a speeding ticket on my expenses -no way would they wear it.
M P ‘s are only paying back what they got because they have got caught.
If it were us Joe Public we would be prosecuted for obtaining property/money by deception.!!!
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The one to whom the most searching questions should be directed is the Speaker of the House, the Gorbals Boy.
This is the man who seems to be defended by all other parties but who can rip into the affections of MPs whenever his semi literate, inarticulate disposition takes him. He is the man who spent over £200,000 defending his position of opposing the Freedom of Information Act with regard to MPs expences, he is the man who, more than anyone has spent like there was no tomorrow when it comes to covering up and opposing the publication of MPs expences, he is the man who, more than any MP shows arrogance and offence when ever he is criticised over the manner in which he dealt with the issue of MPs expences. HE SHOULD BE SACKED – he won’t because he will lose £100,000 severance pay if he is cast out.
When it comes to Francis Maude Peter, his peccadillos, thoroughly bad as they are, pale into insignificance when we look at the Labourite claims, two women Ministers have paid back almost £40,000 between them, – 5 days after being outed. The Labour Minister claiming for a dressing gown etc etc etc etc etc. There is nothing to choose between either of the two main parties, each are as bad as one another – all crooks. In fairness to the Lib Dems, not in the same league as the other two but a higher proportion of their MPs made dodgy claims.
The one redeeming feature, David Cameron started the “pay back” ball and possible sacking ball rolling when he laid down the law yesterday, Brown has had 5 or 6 days to make some gesture of righting the grave wrong and he patently failed to do so until stung into responding by Cameron. Then, it was panic stations with that woman Blears, the worst of all, holding a large cheque payable to the Inland Revenue aloft.
I am prepared to accept a genuine error on the part of Opik – a mistake in keeping with his idiotic antics.
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i am delighted the liberal democrats came off lightly in the mp’s fraud, er, sorry fiddles. it will be the lib dems who will gain seats at the euro elections and local elections, together with ukip.
i would love to see the lib dems holding the balance of power at the next gen. election, then it will be a plague on both tories and labour.
mow i must get someone in to fix my moat, swimming pool oh and i need 10 tons of horse manure, now who can i charge that to?
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why do we need over 600 mps in Uk when they only have justb over300 for the united states , Ithink its time to have some redundences in parlament we could have50% less and save a ot of money the 50% left would then have to work harder and ern there wages.
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Using your brothers death as an excuse ———–Disgusting.
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It seemes that a lot of dye in the wood woolly Libs will try to ‘defend the indefencable as usual’ but everyone else knows we have been taken for a ride by the ‘Clown Prince’
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What REALLY galls me about all this is there is DEFINITELY one rule for us, and none for them, Viz:
1. If any of us fiddled expenses at work i.e to your employer, on such a scale, you’d be sacked on the spot for gross misconduct and theft.
2. Dishonestly claimed any allowances? then the DHSS is watching you (see the adverts) and you get a criminal record and likely jail sentence.
3. Didn’t pay your road tax / declare SORN “beacuse you forgot / becuase of other pressures etc etc …..” YOU /WE CANT escape the DVLA computer (again see adverts) £80.00 automatic fine … and worse – and your car could be crushed into the bargain.
4. YOU didn’t / forgot to pay your TV licence … again because of “other events / pressures”… Never mind … again you can’t escape the TV licensing authority that knows every single post code and address …. and just see what sort of letters they send IF they think you have an address without a TV licence…. and again a £1000 fine for god’s sake …. is it REALLY THAT MUCH of a crime to watch TV in the 21st century when virtuually all of it is “non BBC” anyhow ???
5. Had a bit of a bad day ?? … family pressures, and just “forgot” for a moment to keep your eye on the speedo?? got flashed at 33 mph … £60 automatic fine in the post + 3 points
I could go on and on … and on.
As I say … This is how it is for US .. no escape… the gestapo big brother watches our every move, and descends from a great height if ANY of us move an inch out of line, …
whilst our MP’s enjoy a pampered existence with no apparent restrictions or comebacks.
The sad fact is that it seems to me that NONE of the MP’s REALLY understand what REAL damage they have done…. and how much trust has been lost .. forever.
Something REALLY drastic needs to happen
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Don’t vote for any of them it’s simple !!!
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