More MPs' Expenses
One of the reasons that MPs' expenses are back in the headlines again is that IPSA - the expenses watchdog - has published a list of rejected claims.
And MPs don't like being 'named and shamed' - particularly when 125 honourable members had claims rejected.
The list published by IPSA includes the ministers Ed Davey, Ed Vaizey Maria Miller and Peter Luff - along with well known and experienced Labour MPs including Jack Straw and Harriet Harman.
The Conservative MP for Hereford - Jesse Norman - had the largest sum of £1,504.01 rejected for office furniture.
Overall, the rejected claims amounted to just £15,352 - out of the total £3.64m expenses bill for September and October.
But under the new system MPs who have their expenses rejected are being named - which they don't like one little bit.
The publication of all expenses claims for September and October 2010 revealed that:
# 71 MPs had 154 individual claims fully rejected, with a total value of £11,500.
# Another 69 MPs had 94 claims partly rejected - with a total value of £3,800.
# Overall, 248 claims from 125 MPs were either partly or wholly rejected
# Four ministers were refused payments after failing to provide sufficient evidence in the form of receipts to make claims.
# Employment minister, Ed Davey, was refused £115.64 for a phone bill.
# Culture minister, Ed Vaizey, was refused £4.75 to cover the cost of an intern's lunch.
# Jack Straw had £609 from his business rates claims withheld after providing insufficient evidence.
# Harriet Harman was refused £75 for the hire of a hall for a constituency surgery for the same reason.
Now some of these claims will have been made in good faith - and rejected simply because the MP concerned has not provided enough detail.
But others - such as buying lunch for an MP's intern - are simply ridiculous.
So it seems that what MPs are really angry about is that IPSA is doing a good job - which involves asking MPs tough questions - and holding them to account.
And MPs don't like being 'named and shamed' - particularly when 125 honourable members had claims rejected.
The list published by IPSA includes the ministers Ed Davey, Ed Vaizey Maria Miller and Peter Luff - along with well known and experienced Labour MPs including Jack Straw and Harriet Harman.
The Conservative MP for Hereford - Jesse Norman - had the largest sum of £1,504.01 rejected for office furniture.
Overall, the rejected claims amounted to just £15,352 - out of the total £3.64m expenses bill for September and October.
But under the new system MPs who have their expenses rejected are being named - which they don't like one little bit.
The publication of all expenses claims for September and October 2010 revealed that:
# 71 MPs had 154 individual claims fully rejected, with a total value of £11,500.
# Another 69 MPs had 94 claims partly rejected - with a total value of £3,800.
# Overall, 248 claims from 125 MPs were either partly or wholly rejected
# Four ministers were refused payments after failing to provide sufficient evidence in the form of receipts to make claims.
# Employment minister, Ed Davey, was refused £115.64 for a phone bill.
# Culture minister, Ed Vaizey, was refused £4.75 to cover the cost of an intern's lunch.
# Jack Straw had £609 from his business rates claims withheld after providing insufficient evidence.
# Harriet Harman was refused £75 for the hire of a hall for a constituency surgery for the same reason.
Now some of these claims will have been made in good faith - and rejected simply because the MP concerned has not provided enough detail.
But others - such as buying lunch for an MP's intern - are simply ridiculous.
So it seems that what MPs are really angry about is that IPSA is doing a good job - which involves asking MPs tough questions - and holding them to account.
