Following Daily Telegraph's claims concerning my use of the MP's expenses, I say firstly that my position remains that my claims were made within the law and within the rules of the second home allowance scheme.
The Daily Telegraph article led on my spending the allowance on installing my home gates. This is incorrect, I paid for the gates and their installation myself. The receipt in question was actually for repairs. This is an important point given that the scheme allows for maintenance, but not home improvement. Was it reasonable ? Yes, I believe that following police security advice received, in connection with HLS related threats to me and an attack on my family, it was reasonable.
The other main suggestion was that I spent excessive amounts on gardening and cleaning. There is no question that both items are allowable within the scheme; the question is whether I incurred a reasonable amount. Sensitive to this issue I asked the fees office what constituted a reasonable monthly amount and then kept within that figure. Again, by stating an overall four year aggregate figure, the Daily Telegraph confused the concept of paying for (not allowed) garden projects and (allowed) maintenance. In reality I had a gardener come in weekly to cut the grass and undertake basic maintenance. So I maintain that I have done nothing wrong.
However, I do appreciate the public concern with this issue and people's extreme upset at the abuses of the system. Not only do I share these concerns but I came to see that they actually go beyond the rights and wrongs of individual receipts. Not least, I am worried to see how this crisis has escalated to threaten Parliament because of MP's (mine included) neglect over many years to change the system. I also appreciate that what I and the fees office saw as reasonable, is now being rejected as such by some.
It was on that basis that I decided, given overall loss of confidence in the scheme, to make no claim in this financial year and also to make no further claims under the second home allowance, until the allowances system has been reformed following Sir Christopher Kelly's independent review.
I also voluntarily decided to repay a significant sum to the fees office. All of these decisions were taken before the Daily Telegraph contacted me.
Finally, I take this opportunity to state my full support for David Cameron's strong and principled stand on this issue. As the Prime Minister has dithered on this matter David Cameron has led and I agree with his and my Party's absolute determination to respond to people's concerns and reform the expense system.
Jonathan Djanogly MP
26 May 2009
18 June 2009
Parliament has now published MPs expenses for the last 4 years, click here for details."