Lord Laird defends £48k expenses despite growing unease

A NORTHERN Ireland member of the House of Lords has said his conscience is clear and he will continue doing what he is doing after it emerged he claimed almost £50,000 in expenses in a year.

Lord Laird claimed £48,279 — yet only voted twice over the period and did not give a single speech.

The 73-year-old independent life peer said that many issues in the Lords did not concern Northern Ireland, and that as he was registered as disabled, he could not make it to the chamber on time from his office. He stressed he was hardworking, saying that in 18 years he had submitted some 14,000 questions.

“£48,000 a year to live in London for so many weeks in a year may seem a lot, but it is not a lot in terms of London rates,” he told the BBC.

“I will do what I can do and will continue to do what I can do and I will not be doing any- thing else. I have a totally clear conscience.”

Lord Laird also made it clear that he had no intentions of retiring.

Campaigners have criticised “couch potato peers” after new research suggested more than 100 of them claimed almost £1.3m despite not speaking in the Lords for a year.

The Electoral Reform Society (ERS) said 115 peers — around one in seven — did not contribute in a debate during the 2016/17 parliamentary ses- sion but claimed an average of £11,091.06 each.

ERS chief Darren Hughes said: “There appears to be a growing ‘something for nothing’ culture in our upper house, with tidy sums being claimed by those who barely contribute.”

There is no suggestion Lord Laird broke any rules or the law, but it is not the first time his expenses have hit the headlines.

He claimed £73,000 in 200809, making him the most expensive peer in the Lords that particular year.