Devizes constituency MP Danny Kruger made clear his intention regarding the £10,000 additional allowance granted for home working by stating ‘we do not need any of the additional £10,000 which has been made available, nor do we intend to use it’ in a reply to an enquiry from Marlborough resident Tony Smith.
With lockdown and the advent of home working for MPs, the Independent Parliamentary Standards authority (IPSA), the body responsible for deciding the salaries and expenses of Members of Parliament announced that £10,000 additional expenses had been available for all MPs to cover any additional costs incurred.
Tony wrote to Danny asking the basic question: ‘Are you taking £10,000 for working at home?’.
The following day Danny’s reply arrived.
Whilst Danny Kruger has declined this offer, how many other MPs will be taking advantage of this extra pot? This, against a background of enforced home working with no additional support, furlough, or in many cases nil income, save for what can be gained via Universal Benefit for many of the UK population.
An online petition was set up recently on change.org asking that respondents support a petition: ‘A rejection of the MP’s £10000 corona virus ‘working from home’ allowance’. As of Thursday morning (16 April) over 227,000 signatories had signed in support.
Full details of this expenses scheme and all claims made by MPs can be found on the IPSA website.
Obituary: Ray Whant – 1929-2020
