Caravan loving former Tourism MP to repay expenses
- Friday, 5 February 2010
- 0 Comments
Last year the MP attended the Tourism Alliance reception at Westminster during British Tourism Week to help promote tourism to and within Britain. It was at the event that she revealed she had previously owned two caravans and hopes to buy another when her husband retires, to tour the country. She also discussed the joys of caravanning: ‘Going somewhere in a caravan means having your own pillows and making tea the way you like it. It is very British; utterly individual whilst conforming on the exterior.'
The Stevenage MP claimed for mobile security patrols at her second home, telephone lines, insurance for fine artwork, boiler insurance and pest control.
Sir Thomas Legg's review ordered Mrs Follett to repay £34,776.30 for mobile security patrols at her second home, £4,454.18 for six telephone lines at her second home which were deemed ‘excessive' in the report. Mrs Follett was also told to repay £2812.95 for an additional household insurance premium for fine art, which the report stated was ‘not allowable'. She also received £221 twice for boiler insurance and £193.78 for pest control for an address other than her second home.
The 67-year-old has already repaid the amount in full and announced in October that she will be standing down at the next election.
The Labour MP said in a statement: ‘I have repaid the total amount in full and am pleased that this matter has now been resolved.
‘I claimed these amounts in good faith in accordance with the rules at the time. ‘But as an independent review has now shown these to be vague and deeply flawed, I feel it is only right to repay them.
‘This has been a sad and sorry episode in Britain's political life which I deeply regret.'
Reader comments
Add your commentsNo comments have been added yet. Be the first by adding yours below...