Solidarity and Unity: An A to Z guide of MP's expenses.

Tuesday, 12 May 2009

An A to Z guide of MP's expenses.

A is for Aga:
One conservative MP charged £160 each year to have his Aga serviced.

B is for bread bin:
£20, bought by a Labour backbencher in 2007.
Barbecue:
£6.14, from B&Q, claimed by a female Labour backbencher based in the home counties.

C is for Cat Food:
One animal-loving female Conservative MP claimed 78p for two tins of Cesar Chicken and Turkey pet food and £3.69 for Iams Senior pet food.
Chocolate Santa:
59p, charged by a Welsh Labour MP in 2006.

D is for Dyson:
Animal vacuum cleaner, £299.99, claimed by a meticulous LibDem MP in 2005.

E is for Elephant Lamps:
two for £134.30, bought by a well-known Tory frontbencher.
Eyeliner:
£2.50, from Boots, bought by a female LibDem MP in 2005.

F is for Farrow and Ball paint:
charged by a Tory shadow minister as part of a £1,775 interior house painting claim for his home in the country.
Farley’s Rusks:
£1.59, bought by a Conservative backbencher in 2006.

G is for ginger crinkle biscuits;
67p, bought by a peckish Labour backbencher in 2007.

H is for horse manure:
One particularly wealthy Tory MP charged £10 for a bag of manure for his country retreat.
Hardware:
A no-nonsense Labour backbencher bought a cordless hammer drill from Woolworths for £15 and a tape measure for 43p.

I is for Ikea carrier bag:
5p, claimed by a Labour MP in his Scottish constituency.
Ice cube tray:
£1.50, bought by a former Labour Cabinet minister from M&S in 2008.

J is for Jaffa Cakes:
£1.60 for two packs, charged by an outspoken junior minister in 2004.
Jellied eels:
£1.31, claimed by an Essex-based MP.

K is for Kit Kat:
£2.50, bought from the minibar of the Sherlock Holmes Hotel in London by one of Labour’s best-known female MPs.

L is for loo seat:
One particularly heavyweight Labour MP bought two in the space of a year for his constituency home.

M is for illuminated make-up mirror:
£19.95, by Revlon, bought from John Lewis by a middle-aged female Labour MP.
Moles:
One Tory grandee charged £35 per quarter for a mole catcher at his country home.

N is for nappies:
Two packets of Pampers at £5.65 each, charged by a junior Labour minister after he became a father.

O is for odd jobs:
A LibDem frontbencher charged for the cost of a handyman to replace a rope on his swinging chair, at a cost of £77, together with several other small jobs.

P is for Pizza Wheel:
£3, bought from a Bodum shop in Oxfordshire by Tory backbencher;
Piano tuning:
£40, claimed by a former Tory minister in 2004;
Pouffe:
£199 from DFS, bought by a self-styled Labour hard man in 2008.

Q is for quiche flan dish:
Part of a 110-piece dinner set bought on ebay for £155 by the wife of one Labour backbencher.

R is for rats:
One well-heeled Labour member claimed £199 per quarter for regular visits from Rentokil to deal with a rat and mouse infestation at her London home.

S is for shampoo:
£1.65, claimed by a balding Labour backbencher in 2007;
Swimming pool:
one Tory grandee charged £98.63 for a service on his swimming pool boiler at his country home.

T is for Tampax:
Two packs at £1.11 each, claimed by a Conservative MP who lost his seat in 2005.
Toilet brush holder:
£9.99 from Homebase, bought by a fastidious male member of the LibDems;
Corby Trouser Press, in mahogany:
£119.00, bought from John Lewis by one of the wealthier LibDem MPs.

U is for utensils:
Potato peeler, £4.50, claimed by a member of the Tory front bench.

V is for Vileda supermop:
£4.99, claimed by a moustachioed Labour MP in 2005.

W is wine rack:
£14.99 from Homebase, claimed by a Labour MP for his west country home.
Weed killer:
£3.49, from Focus DIY, bought by a Labour MP and part-time handyman.