Bob Spink

Independent | Castle Point

My work and costs as an MP: Final comment

18 June 2009

I understand the public anger, though I personally have used my allowances honourably and no one has seriously suggested otherwise; nor should they.

The public meeting I called gave me overwhelming (90%) support. But some people have an agenda and some simply don't want to listen. Some MPs have abused the system, some should be prosecuted for fraud; but there are many decent MPs.

This week, since publishing my full year and current monthly expenses, 21 people contacted me with support and only two critically.

Like it or not, the more work an MP does, the greater his costs. Official statistics show I am the hardest working of all 646 MPs and I only achieve this by using the allowances to provide a work flat, office facilities, staff and travel, just as Bernard Braine did before me, without criticism. The Sunday Telegraph audited all MP's work output and total expenditure and found me to be, by a massive margin, the best value for money MP in the region, beating the average Tory by an amazing 80%.

My constituents work very hard and don't get MP's allowances and they are angry about this. That is why I, almost alone among MPs, have been trying to remove the allowances for a long time. I often work 90 hours a week. Be honest, if your employer had made a work flat available to you, would you have refused it and delivered a lesser job? And would you think condemnation for using that allowance was fair?

I could have claimed for mortgage rather than for food. I underclaimed mortgage by £22,000 over the period, much more than my food. Had I taken exactly the same money, but against mortgage rather than food, furniture, etc. would that have resulted in the same criticism? I stopped claiming for subsistence some time ago. I used my 'food' claims to help me to give dinners etc to charity auctions. I entertained three people at Westminster last week and am entertaining four next week; people who have done good work for charity in Castle Point, but I use my own money for that, as I did last weekend when I donated over £100 in bottles of House Whisky to various local charities.

The papers don't tell you that I have never cheated the public by having a second job. I have not flipped to exploit the allowances. I do not claim second home allowance for my main home. I claim no constituency office rent. I claim no chauffeur driven cars, taxis or first class travel and no subsistence (over the last year or two). I have not claimed for embarrassing items like dog food, gardening or duck houses, even though I use my garden extensively in my job and for charity. I am the only MP to have had a full backward looking official audit of my staff which found they were, and I quote: 'committed, hard-working and possessing at this time the necessary skills and competences'. I am proud of them, they do a great job.

I subsidised my Work Flat Allowance by approx £12,000 each year.

I have used my private home as a constituency office, saving the taxpayer about £70,000 over the period.

I will continue to publish my expenses every month and to subsidise my constituency office and work flat. I will not reduce the amount of work I do for my constituents and country by working fewer hours; please see my Echo letter (June 16). I will implement the Independent Kelly recommendations, overriding all my previous commitments.

I have been open and honest and I trust you in turn to be fair and balanced. If you ever need my help, please just let me know. Meanwhile, I have a job to do and hope you will allow me to now focus on that.