Labour

Lying, cheating and a fat wallet

By The Basa ⋅ October 29, 2005 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

Regular readers will remember the last general election campaign when man of the people, Labour MP Nigel Griffiths lied and cheated his way back into parliament (for a refresher course, click here, here, here , here, here, here, here, and here).

It seems that there was a reason for all this cheating, to get the big expenses.

Griffiths, you will remember, is the very same MP who back in 2001 faced mounting pressure to resign over reports that he claimed £40,000 in allowances to cover the cost of renting an office he already owns. Mr Griffiths bought his Edinburgh office in 1997 with money from a legacy and is said to have claimed up to £10,000 in rent allowance every year since then from the Commons authorities.

Edinburgh MP Nigel Griffiths claimed more in expenses last year than any other Lothians MP.

His claim for £149,551 made him the 26th most expensive MP in the country, figures released by the House of Commons show. The cash was claimed on top of his ministerial salary of £86,173.

It is interesting that his labour colleague Edinburgh East MP Gavin Strang managed to get by on £114,023 in expenses especially when Dr. Strange was communiting back and forward to London as well as looking after his sick wife.

More Info: Griffiths tops league for Lothian MPs’ expenses

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• May 29, 2006 -- Donald Anderson - Tell the truth, PLEASE!

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