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In his ruling on that case, standards commissioner John Lyon said it was difficult to determine which home MPs should claim as their main home. Mr Lyon concluded his report stating that the "normal criteria" that the main home should be where an MP spends more nights than anywhere else should remain the "reasonable general test". This cannot be an acceptable response from one put in place to protect the public interest, especially since there appears to be no denial that the money was claimed against the constituency home. As a public servant the commissioner needs to explain to us: 1. If the Home Secretary had declared her Redditch Home as her main home, would she have been able to claim the £24k for her sister's home. 2. Can it be morally right or an acceptable standard to declare as your second home, a house you own or are buying, in which you live a substantial period of each week, in which reside your husband and children? If it is not, why didn't the Standards Commissioner seek to amend the rules earlier? 3. He should explain Whether it is acceptable or legal to claim that a home that you own or are buying, in which you conduct family life, is not you main residence when compared to a rental property? 4. Perhaps he should explain whether there is a definition in law of what is a 'second home' perhaps from other department's such as HMRC 5. Maybe he should have told us how many other MP's or Lord's are making similar claims 6. Are the reports true, does Ms Smith stay at her sister's home when she is London, normally between Monday and Thursday? If so she would appear to spend three nights in London and four at her family home. So What's Your View? Our view is clear, at a time when it is claimed people will die from lack of money, in days when they will face a heating or eating dilemma, in days when thousands are losing jobs, face bleak futures, lack hope, that for anyone to use rules meant for their betterment, to gain such advantage, staggers belief, technically acceptable, morally repugnant. Such behaviour gives the public the perception rightly or wrongly, that our politicians are self-serving and combined with over a decade of New Labour Spin, we can't wait until they're out. |
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