SNP MPS FORCED TO PAY BACK EXPENSES
Nationalists censured by Commons watchdog
Five Nationalist MPs have been ordered to repay wrongly claimed expenses – and others have had their parliamentary credit cards blocked. The five were forced to repay almost £8,000 by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa).
Astonishingly, a Nationalist MP said that at one point, one in four of the party’s MPs had their credit cards blocked by parliamentary authorities. Those ordered to make repayments include long-serving Western Isles MP Angus MacNeil, who tried to claim for hotel bills of more than £250 a night, above the limit of £150.
The party’s leader at Westminster, Angus Robertson, broke the rules on parliamentary spending, along with
former Nationalist MP Natalie McGarry, who resigned the party whip last year following claims relating to the accounts of a pro-independence group.
Ipsa named 14 politicians that it has taken action against to recover money. Five are SNP members, plus Miss McGarry.
In a committee meeting this week, Nationalist MP Pete Wishart claimed one in four of his party’s MPs had seen their credit cards blocked in a single month. He described the expenses process as ‘burdensome’.
In some cases this may be down to simple incompetence. Ipsa asks f or receipts to be submitted promptly, although it sends three reminders to MPs before cutting off their credit.
But, as Mr MacNeil’s case shows, experienced MPs are also flouting the rules by claiming expenses to which they are not entitled.
Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said: ‘The SNP have always tried to portray themselves as whiter than white and different f rom the established Westminster parties.
‘However, it is remarkable that one in four of their MPs have now had their credit cards stopped by Ipsa, including some very experienced parliamentarians.
‘These Nationalist MPs seem to be enjoying the high life in London at taxpayers’ expense and their criticism of the Westminster system will ring hollow as a result.’
Taxpayer-funded credit cards are issued to MPs for expenses including hotel stays, travel, parking and office supplies. Mr MacNeil, who separated from his wife last year, a decade after being caught with two teenage girls in a hotel room while she was in hospital expecting their baby, was asked to repay £950.70 from his credit card after it was temporarily stopped.
The Energy Select Committee chairman failed to pay up when his hotel bills exceeded the £150 limit, instead putting the extra cost on his credit card.
Miss McGarry owed £2,720 when her card was blocked on January 25, according to figures dating from the end of June 2015 to last month released by Ipsa under Freedom of Information legislation.
Records shows she has repaid £2,370.30 and her office said the card is currently operational. A spokesman added: ‘ There was a mix-up in the payment of the deposit for accommodation, but this has since been rectified and Ipsa are satisfied with the repayment.’
Politicians can be forced to repay money if they try to claim for things that are not eligible under the scheme, such as alcohol or hospitality. They must also adhere to rules on providing receipts on time.
Money is recouped by suspending the cards or not paying valid expenses claims. Instalments can also be taken from MPs’ salaries.
The SNP has refused to say why its four other MPs had their credit cards stopped.
Mr Robertson owed the public purse £1,165 when his card was taken out of action on December 15, while Stewart Hosie, who lost his parliamentary credit at the same time, owed close to £3,450.
Both politicians have repaid the money in full, although Angela Crawley, one of the party’s new intake, still owed more than £2,150 as of last month. Her colleague, the West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine MP Stuart Donaldson was pursued for £33.93, which he has repaid.
At a meeting of the Speaker’s Committee, which oversees Ipsa, on Wednesday, Mr Wishart said there was ‘one month where there was a quarter of nearly all new
‘Their criticism will ring hollow’ ‘It has cost a lot of goodwill’
Members of Parliament from the Scottish National Party with their credit cards postponed’.
He said goodwill towards Ipsa had gone from his party as result and he called for a period of grace or better guidance. Mr Wishart added: ‘There is a reputational issue with things like that when a credit card is actually stopped.’
Ipsa chief executive Marcial Boo said: ‘I am obviously very sorry that it has cost a lot of goodwill. But it is part of the role that we have to make sure that payments that we make are supported by evidence.
‘As soon as MPs provide us with that evidence the card is turned back on again.
‘We cannot allow ourselves to be in a position where an MP is making thousands of pounds of payments on a card and failing to give us evidence to support that payment, without taking any action.’
Other MPs who had their credit cards stopped and repaid money include Democratic Unionist Party MP Ian Paisley, and Labour MPs Owen Smith, Liam Byrne and Simon Danczuk.
A spokesman for the SNP said: ‘By its very nature the operation of the expenses system means that Ipsa often owes outstanding amounts to MPs and MPs often owe outstanding amounts to Ipsa.
‘Outstanding amounts are then repaid. Temporary credit card suspensions have already been lifted on all the SNP MPs.’