Greg Mulholland MP

Dear Constituent,

You will all have seen the appalling reports of abuse of MPs' allowances that has been going on in Parliament and as your MP I wanted to make my position clear on this very serious matter.

You will have seen the reports of appalling abuses of some Members - I was as stunned as you to discover what has been going on. People are rightly furious. I want you to know that, as your MP, I share this anger. Some abuses, like claiming for imaginary mortgages, seem to be actually criminal, while others have made outrageous claims on moats and swimming pools. Tough action must be taken.

I want you to know that when I am away from home, working for you in London, I live in a one-bedroom rented flat in Vauxhall - keeping the cost as low as I can. My family home is a terraced house here in the constituency. I would never dream of trying to claim expenses on it, as some MPs have done. So, we need a new system so that MPs cannot benefit personally from second homes allowances.

I am making details of all my expenses avaliable to the public and am happy to answer any questions about them. I was appalled when some Labour and Conservative MPs backed proposals to make their expenses claims secret. I have always voted to keep all MPs' claims public.

If one good thing comes from this whole sorry affair it's the need for a complete overhaul of the whole expenses system. From my first day in Westminster it was clear that the expenses system is a mess, with unclear rules and numerous loopholes.

That's why I have been one of the leading voices calling for the system to change (please see the details of what I have done in Parliament on this issue). Just a few weeks ago I challenged Gordon Brown at Prime Ministers Questions about this very issue. But sadly, my calls and those of others demanding reform, were ignored too easily in the past. Only now are we seeing reforms that will stop the kind of abuses that have damaged Parliament.

Most importantly, I will continue working hard as your local MP. There's so much to do - fighting for our local NHS, calling for action on crime and real action to protect our area from the impact of the recession.

I am incredibly proud to represent this area and I will continue working hard as your local MP, standing up for our area - the job I was elected to do.

Yours Sincerely,

My proposals for reform

I have been campaigning for radical change to the system of MPs' allowances since I entered Parliament.

On Tuesday 19th May the system was changed to stop claims for furniture and fittings and to cap mortgage and rent payments. However, an independent committee will be reviewing the whole issue and recommending a final plan for reform. Personally I think the system must be changed so that;

1. Instead of MPs making claims for things, all 'London living' payments are made direct centrally by the Fees Office. This would help stop suspicion that MPs were benefiting from the money that is there for them to live in London during the week.

2. Receipts and bills should be provided with all claims of any size.

3. From now on no MP should be allowed to use the allowance to buy property. This would help show that MPs can't use allowances to personally profit by investing in mortgages.

4. All allowance payments should be public and online.

5. I also think it is time for the House of Commons to buy or build suitable accommodation for MPs who need it. This would be much better value for the taxpayer compared to all the money spent on mortgages and rent. Such accommodation would be an asset owned by the taxpayer and would be returned by MPs when they leave office. With the recent scandal, I believe this maybe the only way to convince the public that MPs cannot benefit financially from allowances and that they are simply being provided with accommodation they need to be able to do their job.

My expenses

Transparency must be a fundamental principle when it comes to MPs' expenses. The public have a right to know where their money is going. The House of Commons only publishes spending under broad categories, which in my view is not good enough. So, here I will explain in detail what I claim for and how exactly I make my expense claims.

Salary

The salary of MPs is a matter of public knowledge; this year it is £64,766. Thankfully the practice of MPs voting on their own salaries has been ditched, and an independent body (Senior Salaries Review Board) now makes recommendations about cost of living increases to MPs' salaries. There are no incremental pay-grade increases for MPs; all MPs earn the same salary apart from Government Ministers, the Leader of the Opposition, and Select Committee Chairmen. The Senior Salaries Review Board considers the job of an MP to be comparable to a secondary school headteacher or a police chief superintendent, both of whom as an average are paid more than an MP.

Staffing Costs

Between my Holt Park and Westminster offices, I employ three full-time, one four-day and part-employ another; these consist of my Constituency Orgainser and two caseworkers. My Office Manager works a four-day week and I part-employ with the council group a further member of staff.

My staff have standard House of Commons contracts of employment, and none of them are related to me. I advertise all vacancies on this website, on www.w4mp.org and often on other websites such as local University careers service sites. After shortlisting, I interview and appoint on the basis of who has best demonstrated the criteria asked for in the job description. Employing these members of staff enables me to respond promptly to the dozens of people who write, email or call the office every day, whether with a problem they would like my assistance with, or a policy issue or piece of legislation they are concerned about. The salary and national insurance costs included in my staffing total are paid directly from the House of Commons authorities to my staff. Staff is by far the biggest portion of my expenses, but absolutely essential to enable me to take up cases on behalf of constituents. Local people who have been in contact with my staff frequently comment on how helpful they have found them.

Office Costs

Every MP is provided with office space in Parliament, but the running costs of the constituency office are included in the expenses figures. This includes rent and rates, telephone bills, heating, electricity, postage, stationery and IT equipment.

Travel Costs

Living 195 miles from Westminster means I spend quite a lot of time on the train. When Parliament is sitting I travel to London and back each week. I normally travel down on a Monday morning and return on Thursday afternoon, though this can change if I have important constiteuncy events and occasionally I have to be in London on a Friday for private members' bills.

Accommodation costs

Being an MP means you have to work and live in two places, so MPs need somewhere to stay in London.

During the week in London, I stay overnight in a rented one-bedroom in Vauxhall and there is the rental cost, utility bills and council tax that are paid for from the second home allowance. The House of Commons authorities have a copy of my lease agreement, which they had to agree to before I signed it. MPs can also claim £25 a day subsistence for the nights they are away.

I would like to see a system ultimately where MPs stay in properties owned by the House of Commons. The public would then know that MPs cannot benefit financially from their necessary second home. It would also stop me having to constantly send bills and forms to the House authorities for reimbursement!

I will be publishing my expenses online for this financial year which started in April 2009 and finishes in April 2010 and previous years' claims have been published by the House of Commons and can be found by clicking the link below. I will continue to publish them so you can see exactly what I am claiming for; they can be viewed and downloaded below:

Greg's Expenses April 2009 - April 2010

Greg's Expenses 2005 - 2008