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HAVE YOUR SAY

DO MPS DESERVE THEIR LAVISH EXPENSES?

Ms Cooper has claimed £150,658 while Mr Balls has claimed £157,076

Thursday June 26,2008

By Alison Little Deputy Political Editor

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(47)

ANTI-sleaze watchdogs are to investigate expenses claims made by husband and wife ministers Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper on properties worth £855,000.

The duo, who claimed £300,000 extra support in taxpayers’ cash last year, will be grilled over the use of their homes in London and Yorkshire.

The pair, who earn nearly £140,000 each, face close scrutiny because they have designated their London house as their “second home” and use taxpayers’ cash to fund this.

Previously their £200,000 house in Yorkshire, where the MPs represent, was treated as the second home for expenses purposes.

But critics say the £655,000 north London house in Stoke Newington should be seen as their main home because the couple are based there during the week and send their children to school in the capital.

Making the London home their second property entitled them to help with the larger mortgage.

But the Green Book rules on MPs’ allowances state that “if you have more than one home, your main home will normally be the one where you spend more nights than any other”.

* Do YOU think MPs deserve their lavish expenses?

* Should TAXPAYERS' money be used to fund MPs second homes?

*** HAVE YOUR SAY NOW! ***

NOT REALLY,NO

16.07.08, 10:46pm

Its a bit of a Mexican stand off, they think they do and we.the ones who foot the bills, do not.
We are always in a no win situation though as they make their own rules and we do not get a say in anything anymore,not even a vote to stop these people, with their own greedy interests at heart and not ours, selling our old country out to Europe and we are not allowed to say anything about it so, NO they do not deserve their lavish expenses.

• Posted by: Maggie • Report Comment

MPS EXPENSES

13.07.08, 7:57pm

Ed Balls do you think you claim too much expenses, doesnt it look bad to the hard working over taxed public?........So what

• Posted by: yasny23 • Report Comment

DO MPS DESERVE THEIR LAVISH EXPENSES?

09.07.08, 6:00pm

right let me say this can the express or others start a campagin to get a person to stand in every constituancy in the land get a contract drawn up about what they vote out and what crazy laws will be changed and what the goverment can do in other words sort out the crap get all these chosen people to sign the document so they cannot go back on it when elcted then we all start to get these people elected instead of moaning on here we could get a vast ammount of them elected and get our country back it would be good because you would get them coming out of the woodwork to call us lonies ect but you would see a lot more of who is who cos they would crap there pants as we could actuly make them responsible for what they did ie get back all second homes bought by these buggers and maybee we could actuly tell the people the truth about all after all once we get them out we will get back stabbers telling all but its just my dream

• Posted by: notasucker • Report Comment

DO MPS DESERVE THEIR LAVISH EXPENSES?

09.07.08, 5:51pm

a mp cannot tell as they all are at it they make the bloody rules.Just like licence fee for bbc we get told its because its a public service then when they get £100,000 rise in wages its because they have to compete in the market ok if you compete in market you do not get public money quiet easy realy.but hold on here if bbc is not run by nu-labour they might start telling the truth cannot have that make the suckers pay.same with the green con put up tax on the suckers build another runway now lets see which is less green,its all about money and power and they got it,ok look at clarkson 2 mil a year for what messing around bus driver train driver bin men factory worker shop worker office staff nurse ect now if they all stayed away from work for a week the country would stop but clarkson ross and the rest of the overpaid for nothing begrade if they take a week of the world carries on folkes know why cos we make they wealth they get it,just look around the less a job is needed the more it is paid but i been saying this for years as before people to thick to think we are fed crap all the time never told the truth because if we were so of these morons might well wake up and regain the country and as you know we cannot have that the gravy train must go on and on and on and on only we can end it 1 month of sacrifice instead of years and we change the country show the twats just who is in controll but guess what no chance we just suffer and moan get drunk go on a week holiday and hope it will work out but it is not going to these morons will not go on there own they got to be dragged out and by that i do not trouble tottaly legal take our country back from these ass holes

• Posted by: notasucker • Report Comment

NO WAY THEY ARE LEECHERS

08.07.08, 11:51pm

Its about time we had a Prime Minister like Churchill, he was the only one to put MP's wages down....they are a bunch of greedy, taking the p*ss leechers and I cant bring my self to vote for any of the GREEDY ARROGANT SELF SERVED (curse word)'s.

• Posted by: Tazzie • Report Comment

DO MPS DESERVE THEIR LAVISH EXPENSES?

08.07.08, 10:48am

look people if you think they get of the gravy train when they lose think again they got all angles covered you see there welfare is all that matters to them,aint you found that out yet,i said before and i say again all areas should pick a independent and vote em in get rid of the party system remember its party first country last we are just the mugs who vote they pick the people but no no we just keep on voting for these idiots.lets face it most people given power are exactly the same,just look around wheel clampers ,traffic wardens ,ect give a ghuman power and they get power mad always have always will there is not shuch a thing as democracy it is a dream a myth the masses will follow like sheep always have always will like war the leaders sit back we die the get richer we suffer so what changes nothing people are sheep always were if they get out of line use more sheep to keep them controlled lets face it they got it worked out the masses aint but just think in time they not need the masses as technolagy will take over so the vast majority can be done away with at least theres light at the end of the tunnel for most and do not go thinking this man is mad look at the first world war now walk at those guns and die in youre millions both sides did it if any of you think they give a crap you are on mars we are mearly the means of serving the leaders power trips after all its us pay the bbc billions but they ross and clarkson vast ammounts of cash for what would the streets get dirty would the dead remain no the less the job is needed the more they get paid always keep a underclass for cheap labor but i give up to many thick sheep in the world it will end one day and i hope soon but only if technolgy speeds up because people deserve what they get to thick do anything about it just like drugs and drink just who do you think lets this go on the ones in charge keep em in moron land and we rule forever just look at history men charge gun officer gets vc lol look at charly and philip got medals galore lol its a joke but been going on forever lord gets land pesants fight the war lets face it they make plans about how many can let get killed to win not how many can we keep safe and do it another way easy when you 30 miles behind lines anyway enough i been trying for years but people to thick

• Posted by: notasucker • Report Comment