MP's expenses: How Midlands MPs claimed
A BIRMINGHAM MP tried to put a £1,300 Persian rug on her House of Commons expenses, it emerged today.
Lynne Jones eventually received £600 towards the cost of the item, bought for her London flat.
The claim was among a catalogue of expenses voluntarily revealed by Midland MPs for a major Birmingham Mail survey of their Commons claims.
Our poll also showed Meriden Tory MP Caroline Spelman claimed £102.13 for a year’s subscription to a satellite navigation service in 2005. And Liberal Democrat Yardley MP John Hemming submitted a claim for an £8.41 Tesco bill in July 2007 which included a 95p bottle of Fairy Liquid.
Dr Jones admitted: “I think the culture was that you tried to maximise what you claimed rather than minimising it.”
The Selly Oak Labour MP also accepted she had been wrong to try to claim £775 for pictures and framing for her London home in March 2006.
The claim was rejected by the Commons authorities. But the fees office did approve other payments to Dr Jones totalling more than £400 for other pictures.
On her rejected £775 claim, Dr Jones, who has led the way in publishing details of her expenses on her website, said: “I claimed for them, which I probably shouldn’t have, and they didn’t pay for them.
See the breakdown of each Midlands MP.
