Amazon Prime at taxpayers’ expense

‘The website was not clear’

NINE MPs – including three from the SNP – charged the taxpayer for Amazon Prime memberships.

The £79-a-year service allows members to have parcels delivered within hours and watch premium TV shows such as Jeremy Clarkson’s The Grand Tour.

Among those who claimed for Amazon Prime this year are three Nationalist MPs – Stuart Donaldson, Lisa Cameron and Brendan O’Hara.

Ms Cameron, MP for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow defended the purchase of the service, saying: ‘With the opening of my constituency offices, on a number of occasions equipment was ordered through Prime membership offering longitudinal savings on timeous delivery costs.’

Argyll and Bute MP Mr O’Hara said his claim for £7.99 for one month of Prime was an error made ‘because the website was not clear’ and that he had paid back the money. Mr Donaldson member for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, claimed he signed up a free trial but then forgot to cancel his subscription.

His spokesman said: ‘Amazon Prime membership was incorrectly taken from the account in December 2015 and was then refunded by Amazon in full the following month.’

Three Tories – James Gray, Marcus Fysh and Craig Mackinlay – also claimed this year.

Last year Tory MPs Will Quince and Scott Mann submitted claims and Labour MP Mary Creagh did so in 2014.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority said Amazon Prime subscriptions could be claimed if the MP can justify that it was used ‘for parliamentary purposes’.

Public scrutiny on MPs’ expenses has increased dramatically since the 2009 scandal which saw several prosecuted for dodgy claims.