Boris’s Cabinet are landlording over us
Ministers rake in rent... AND claim it
EIGHT ministers in Boris Johnson’s new Cabinet are lining their pockets as landlords – while taxpayers foot the bill for their own rent.
Last year the eight claimed a total of £ 145,838 back from taxpayers for properties they live in while in London.
Meanwhile, each of them earns at least £10,000 in income from tenants.
Last night campaigners branded them “parasites” and accused them of abusing their positions to cash in.
Anny Cullum, of community action group ACORN, said: “This lays bare the shameless self-serving attitude of the current Conservative government.” Defence secretary Ben Wallace claimed £27,550 for rent in 2018/19 but lets out a flat in south-west London.
Minister without portfolio and Tory Party chairman James Cleverly billed taxpayers £14,400 while letting out a house in Lewisham, south-east London – just seven miles from Westminster.
Northern Powerhouse minister Jake Berry claimed £13,050 for rent while getting income from three houses in Anglesey. Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns claimed £ 18,900 for rent but let a property in Cardiff to tenants.
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack claimed £11,310 while earning income from two cottages in his Dumfries and Galloway constituency.
Security Minister Brandon Lewis charged £21,795 while renting out his home in Essex.
Attorney General Geoffrey
Cox charged £ 22,680 while letting a property in London and farmland in west Devon. And Chief Whip Mark Spencer claimed £ 16,153 for hotels while pocketing rent on a farm.
On top of their £79,468 MPs’ salaries, ministers receive at least £31,680 for extra responsibilities.
None of the eight has broken any rules and all the information about rent was found through declarations MPs made on Parliament’s register of interests.
But Eileen Short of Defend Council Housing said: “They have no shame. We need to stop
this gravy train.”
“That’s the reason for the 12-month restriction. And it applies to everyone without exception, including the PM’s girlfriend.”
A No10 source said the claim about Carrie being so careless was “not true”.
But when told this, our Whitehall source laughed and said: “Classic denial.”
If Carrie only has an annual passport, she could be in real trouble in the event her boyfriend gets his No Deal Brexit.
Earlier this year the Foreign Office warned that EU countries could prevent Brit holidaymakers from entering without at least 15 months’ validity.
Last week Carrie was seen slipping into Downing Street through a back door.
She and the PM, 55, will live in the flat normally occupied by the Chancellor above No11 because the one in No10 is too cramped.
The pair, the first unmarried couple to live together in Downing Street, were previously living in Carrie’s flat and now have another £1.3million home.