North East MPs split on Kelly Report expenses system

Nov 5 2009 by William Green, The Journal

Questioning Sir Christopher’s role, she said: “I don’t think he has any insight into the impact on the family of doing a 500 or 600-mile round trip which is what all the MPs from the North East do every week.”

But Ronnie Campbell, Labour MP for Blyth Valley, said: “As far as we are concerned, we cannot do anything else but go along with it.”

He considered stepping down amid the expenses scandal despite being one of the first MPs to voluntarily return money when he repaid £6,000 for furnishings.

“There were a few thoughts going over my mind but I am now committed. I am committed to fighting the next election, hook or crook,” said the MP, who will step down at the election after next.

Durham City MP Roberta Blackman-Woods, assistant to Regional Minister Nick Brown, urged colleagues to fully accept the Kelly report to restore confidence in Parliament.

Middlesbrough MP Sir Stuart Bell, who sits on the Speaker’s Committee overseeing expenses’ reform, said the Commons would welcome the report.

But he suggested MPs should get a pay rise, albeit not a “proper” increase, so they no longer claimed for anything other than travel.

The Kelly report also said MPs should only claim for rent or hotel costs with receipts that should be published.

Expenses should also cover council tax, utility and telephone bill, security, contents insurance and removals at the beginning and end of a tenancy. But cleaning, gardening, furnishings and other items would not be claimable.

MPs within reasonable commuting distance should no longer be able to claim for a second home at all.

And MPs’ “golden goodbyes” should be scrapped unless their departure was “involuntary”. It is currently worth up to £64,766, but in future will be based on years of service capped at nine months’ salary. Other MPs will get eight weeks’ pay, while its removal would be sanction against those abusing the system.

MPs’ outside jobs should not be banned, but such activity should be within “reasonable limits” and “transparent”.