MPs expenses: The best of the begging letters

BNP councillor Richard Mulhall has been found guilty of swindling taxpayers' cash to line his own pockets. The dad-of-two was found guilty on four counts of benefit fraud at Teeside Crown Court

Three of the BNP?s new councillors in Barking and Dagenham have been taken to court for owing thousands of pounds in rent and council tax. The local authority has secured county court judgements against two, a third is being threatened with bailiffs, and a fourth is involved in a council probe into a potential £10,000 housing benefit fraud.

"From a natural justice perspective I feel a justifiable exception would be the fairest manner to deal with the current situation" letter from Labour MP in 2006 on why he should be allowed to claim for a 3,100 Sony 40 inch TV

"I object to your decision not to reimburse me for the costs of purchasing a baby's cot for use in my London home...Perhaps you might write to me explaining where my son should sleep next time he visits me in London?" letter from Labour MP in Nov 2004

"The work surfaces are no longer hygienic and the sink unit, which is an old brown plastic double bowl, is scratched and very ugly" letter from Conservative MP justifying the 5,347.36 cost of his new kitchen at his flat in 2007

"Ref: claim for lounge corner unit: if you feel this is excessive can I say that due to size and layout of the room a normal three-piece suite will not fit. This 'corner group' fits perfectly" Labour MP writing to the fees office in August 2006

"Old flat. Facilities out of date. Decrepit. Health reasons. Update. Living in slum. On advice, called in contractor. Recommended kitchen and bathroom replacement" note made by official in fees office of conversation with Labour MP who had claimed 12,400 for work to his flat

"I would be very grateful if (the expenses) could be paid in the last round of the year on Friday. Otherwise I might be in line for a divorce!" letter from Andy Burnham, the Culture Secretary in 2005 after making a single claim of 16,500 on his London flat.

"Reducing the payment by over 1,000 affects my cash flow. Please expedite the payment" letter from Tory MP whose expenses payment had been reduced by the fees office

"I appreciate you are under severe pressure... but, as I explained on the phone, I am away for two weeks and I don't want to leave my family destitute" letter from Labour MP to fees office

PUNISH THE PIGS Britain today is a society living in fear. Our society is overcrowded, splintered and bankrupt. We stand on the brink of destruction.

In the face of these pressures, we all need to stand up for each other. The greedy political pigs of the Labour/Tory/Lib-Dem Party only work in their own interests, stealing your money for their expenses, second/third homes and other outrageous legalised theft from your pocket.

Only the BNP will bring an end to this Westminster thievery.

Only the BNP will bring an end to this EU madness which costs us 5 billion per year.

Only the BNP will bring an end to the swamping of our nation by mass immigration.

Only the BNP will bring an end to the fear of the future which marks modern Britain.

For this reason, we must all work together to make sure the BNP wins a seat in the European Parliament this year.

You can make a pledge to help the BNP succeed. You can give just 3 to the BNP by texting the word donate to 60777. Do it now, and help us bring the political pigs to book!

REAL opposition is the only thing the LIbLabCon respects -- VOTE BNP for European Parliament on June 4th

and the latest from Elliot Morley

I did not know I had paid off my mortgage 18 months ago............yes right. Dont we all celebrate when we do that and remember the day for many years. Plus when he's filling in his expense form each month and gets to the section........Mortgage assistance, what does he put....800 for 18 months.

Clearly an unnecessary expense.

This does not sound unreasonable.

This is at least arguable depending on the age of the existing kitchen, and £5,000 for a kitchen refurb doesn't seems excessive.

Again, a perfectly arguable claim.

Again, arguable.

Nothing inherently wrong with asking for legitimate expenses to be paid forthwith.

Again, nothing inherently wrong - although it does suggest the initial claim was unjust..

Lol.

Surely you could have come up with better examples of unjust expenses claims than these? And surely the country is not in uproar because one MP had a grand knocked off his expenses, and another asked to be paid his expenses sooner than usual?

I haven't found any evidence of necesary overcrowding - much of the current problem with housing is that the Tories sold off council housing and reduced the number of new-builds. As for splintering and bankruptcy, the blue-blooded English banker in a three-piece suit appears to be to blame.

d other outrageous ?legalised

Actually, I'm not a LibDem, but their expense claims appear to have been consistently reasonable. Indeed, Huhne even paid back for his trouser press, which I think any ordinary person would have said was a justified expense in any event.

Haha!

Presumably the BNP doesn't think international cooperation is worth a few billion a year.

Swamping, lol!

If the BNP got power I think most people would be more fearful, not less. The only people who would sleep more easily are BNP crooks like Joey Owens, whose gangland activities would then presumably have political protection.

I think we should all work together to make sure the BNP is smashed.

t now, and help us

I'm surprised anyone will vote for British Nationalist Pigs!

In message , Tom E writes

Apparently he also produced bank statements "proving" that he was paying the sum out of his account, and it was only when the fees office asked for a bit more evidence of the existence of the mortgage that he stopped claiming it.