Thursday, February 21, 2008
“now it’s run from a prefabricated extension to the house..”
The BBC’s Mark Devenport was, apparently, talking to UUP MLA Billy Armstrong about his prefabricated constituency office “owned by his wife and based on their farm”, for which he had been claiming rental costs from public funds, but Mark doesn’t appear to have seen the Belfast Telegraph beforehand. According to a report there, and in contrast to the previous descripton given here - that “the prefabricated constituency office was “purpose built” and is located on lawns close to his home” - Mr Armstrong now claims that the office was “an extension to his home and he does not consider that planning permission is required.”
A DoE Planning Service spokeswoman said: “The Divisional Planning Office has no record of planning permission being granted for a constituency office or an associated sign at this location. Enforcement action is not under way but the alleged breach will now be investigated by the division.”
The full response to David Gordon’s FoI request on the rent claimed by MLAs is noted here - downloadable as a Word document here.
Details of the landlords of MLA offices have been withheld by Stormont officials. This decision will be challenged, if necessary through a complaint to the Information Commissioner, the watchdog for the FOI Act.
The Assembly argued that revealing the identity of commercial landlord interests could cause them financial difficulties.
Its FOI response said: “Despite the considerable political developments in Northern Ireland in recent times, the potential for economic sanctions towards commercial interests from a differing community background persists.”
Pete Baker @ 08:06 PM
Now that the media may have had their pound of flesh on MLA property charges and nepotism can I point to the published MLA expense claims??
For those with an idle moment the figures are worth scanning – think of it as eyebrow exercise!
How is it that most of our MLA’s have almost identical office running costs? The max amount they could claim was £48,000 – and – wonder of wonders – the vast majority claim exactly that or are within 10% of it.
A parting gift from Mr Hain was to raise this limit to 70 thousand or so - £72,000? I’m not sure if many Members have a large enough family to spend this!
Then – take a look at the mileage claims paid out to some. Some MLA’s charge little and a few nothing at all – but there are others ..
Pat Doherty – over £15k last year, £14k the year before and over £21k the year before that (when the Assembly was suspended). OK – Fermanagh is far away – but Michelle Gildernew charged £10.6k last year. Do Pat and Michelle not talk? Could they share a car now and then? Pat drove over 50K miles last year – which is not far short of the mileage of a busy taxi man. If Pat and Michelle don’t want to share a car – surely the Assembly could stretch to buying Pat a GPS – he must get lost a lot. While they’re at Halfords – get Tommy Gallagher one too – he must be following Pat.
I shouldn’t just focus on the country folk – one way streets, multi-lane carriageways, roundabouts, feeder lanes and traffic lights can be confusing. Our more urban (if not ‘urbane’) MLA’s are also in their cars for long periods.
Gerry Kelly coming in from North Belfast to the East of the city clocked up a mileage charge costing £7k – 17.5k miles and that’s before he’s taken his wife out shopping. Then again – perhaps she’s found a quicker way of getting to the shops! Dallat comes from Derry for a little more and Deeny come in from Tyrone for much less.
But, it’s not only Gerry K. spending his time driving, Fra McCann clocked up more than 20k miles driving at a cost of over £8k. I hope he was giving his colleagues Jennifer McCann and Paul Maskey a lift – but they were just elected a month. Perhaps Jennifer and Paul gave Fra a tip – they both managed to extract the max of £4k in office costs just after being elected.
I could be accused of being cruel when wondering about Mitchel McLaughlin’s mileage charge of £10.4k. South Antrim may not be far from the Assembly – but it’s a new area to him. I just hope he doesn’t ask for directions from Sue Ramsey – she clocked up £8.8k in charge coming in from West Belfast.
Yeah, yeah – I know – this isn’t fair. These MLA’s are out visiting their constituents at all hours of the day and night.
Just like ex-MLA’s; T. O’Reilly (£15.9k – Fermanagh), M. Robinson (£11.1k – South Belfast!!!) and M. Copeland (£8.5k – East Belfast!!!).
Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 01:39 AMSo let me get this straight: Billy Armstrong in on the committee scrutinising the decisions made by the Department on planning permission… but he doesn’t have planning permission for his own office?
Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 02:43 AMBelfast Gonzo
he may be trying to argue that it is an extension to his house, and may be so small as to be allowed as permitted development.this then begs the question why was he paying rent for his own home.Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 03:11 AMWhat’s pathetic is that everyone knows what these characters are like, but they’ve all been safely elected over the length of their political careers by an electorate happy to sleepwalk into voting booths. As Don has already said, we get the government we deserve—we get the government we keep asking for.
Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 04:15 AMA local wag said in 1998 when the boul’ Billy was elected that ‘there was as much material in Moygashel as to make a hat big enough for Glynnis to wear at church to celebrate’.
Now that they have both been outed for claiming out of the public’s pockets for exorbitant rent for a wooden portacabin which has no planning permission and for which rates were consequently avoided, it seems to me that a lengthy period of sackcloth and ashes are required.
To show remorse Billy must resign from the Assembly forthwith and the UUP must start to seriously cleanse itself of this unhappy saga. Anything else is cowardice.
Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 08:23 AMThe UUP are trying to claim to be sweaky clean but they are obviously not
Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 08:54 AMWhen the boul’ Billy MLA, a member of the assembly’s committee advising on planning, works on the premise that a house extension does not need planning approval then I guess now is a good time for me to order a timber frame extension for my bit of a cottage.
Might as well get it done now before the rules change.
Thank you Billy for your tremendous lead!Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 09:17 AMThis all boils down to standards in public office and many unfortunately are being found to be lacking.
Question is; is this likely to damage their political careers? In most cases probably not. For some pulling a fast one on expenses against the British may even be seen as an electoral asset. This is a sad reflection on the electorate and erodes confidence in the very concept of Democracy. We the electorate should expect better and if we don’t what possibility is there of improvement?
There needs to be a better way of monitoring this and fraud obviously means the person is not fit, but investigations of fraud should result in automatic suspension pending investigation.
With regards mileage, as someone who pays mileage it really does not take long to add up. What I think would be useful is to expect MLAs to use public transport for their main journeys up to the hill. Perhaps then we would see an increased interest in the Service provided.
Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 10:03 AMSweaky??????
Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 10:10 AMThis is a scam, well known within political circles. Once elected your spouse obtains a property, you rent it off her for your constituency office, that pays the mortgage, hey presto at the end of the process you own the property and pension is secured. Nice work if you can get it Gregory.
Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 10:17 AMI guess embarrassment isn’t in some of our MLA’s emotional toolkit.
Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 11:30 AM“Once elected your spouse obtains a property, you rent it off her for your constituency office, that pays the mortgage, hey presto at the end of the process you own the property and pension is secured.”
And what’s the big problem with that?
Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 11:39 AMAs a taxpayer I do not feel that my hard earned wages should be used to increase the family property portfolio of already well payed politicians. Paul if you do not have a problem with this abuse of the public purse then you must be related to the Campbells.
Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 11:58 AMNepotism, corruption on a massive scale that would make all the hypocrisy over Johnny foreigners lack of embarrassment pale into the shade.
Unionists really are loyal to the crown after all! Perhaps mainly the one produced on behalf of HM treasury.
Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 12:24 PMMark
‘Nearly all are claiming well above that for shitholes in the sticks.’
Prince Eoghan - in terms of rent the Shinners are the worst culprits actuallyPosted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 12:55 PMElvis, explain how Sinn Fein are at fault over rents.
Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 01:25 PMAlmost everything we have been privy to *so far* points at Unionists. Considering how under the spotlight SF seem to be, I would be surprised if they were abusing the system too much. Then again, who are the ones supposed to be loyal to the crown again?
Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 01:29 PMCash before the sash Eoghan. One shows true loyalty to the queen by keeping as man portrates of her as possible in your wallet. As for Republicans, well as a taxi driver who did the double once told me “I’m a republican dude, it’s my duty to defraud the brit government”
Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 01:33 PMmaybe its a new version of the old children’s programme Portland Bill-only it’s now portacabin Bill
Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 02:34 PMJD,
I confirm that I am definitely NOT related to the Campbells. A costituency office is an essential service needed for elected representatives to meet the needs of their constituents. Public money is and should be used to pay for this. As long as rent is paid at commercial rates then it matters not who owns the building. The uplift on any property value is not paid for by public money. We do live in a capitalist market economy, and for that I’m glad. If an MLA sees away of benefiting through shrewd business then fair play to them as long as it is within the law. It isn’t costing the public purse anymore than renting from a stranger.
Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 04:20 PMPaul
Presumably the constituency office could as easily be rented from a constituent outwith the MLA’s immediate family so that in principle the wider public has a chance of tendering for this facet of government service.
It is still really odious that the MLA or MP or even both should be feathering their own nests to such an extent. Some of the ‘shrewd’ financial arrangements are obviously contrivances!
Where in this all is any respect or care shown to the voting public?
Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 05:05 PMThe amount of rent paid by Junior and his Da seems to be very excessive according to most commentators, including, we are told, members of his own party in the Assembly.
Now Junior tells us that it was fair market value.
Remember he told us the same about his second home price - fair market value.
It would be interesting to know exactly how much he paid for it.
There might be some dodgy valuers about.Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 05:23 PMWhich reminds me of an old hoary one:
If you ask a mathematician what one plus one equals, he will say “two”.
If you ask an accountant the same question he will say “What do you want it to be?”Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 05:33 PMGive Billy Armstrong a break. He was entitled to claim £48,000 but he kept costs down as tight as he could so no-one could say he claimed the full whack. As the record shows, he only claimed £47,970.41 ....
Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 06:14 PMI think the Commissioners of Inland Revenue might have missed a chunk of capital gains tax and they must not forget the arrears at 40% up to the end of this and previous tax years if applicable.Also has the rental income been declared and the VAT treated in a correct manner. There are heavy penalties for tax evasion. Nolan wants to buy a dictionary thicker than his wallet and look up corruption. Naievity is a quality a journalist should not possess. Yet Henry Kelly and Mike Nesbitt make up a trio of “BUCK IDIOTS”
Posted by on Feb 22, 2008 @ 06:44 PM
