PETERBOROUGH LABOUR PARTY

Peterborough Labour Candidate Will Not Claim Expenses

Ed Murphy Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Peterborough has made a statement confirming that he will not claim any second home allowance to serve as MP for Peterborough. This follows the controversy over the current MP’s claims amounting to £66,000 so far since his election and reports in National Newspapers over the bank holiday weekend in which the current Tory MP Stewart Jackson is quoted as having told the Standard Committee enquiry that:

 "A draconian and retrospective abolition of the second home allowance would ... be unfair to those of us who have some time ago taken out mortgages on our constituency properties…...

"It would have the effect of making Members such as myself materially worse off and less able and likely to spend 'quality' time in our constituencies."

Ed Murphy Labours parliamentary spokesperson for the New Peterborough Constituency commented;

“Everything possible should be done to ensure that MPs are responsible with public funds and like many other people living in Peterborough I will get the train to work, there is no need for me or any MP for Peterborough to have a second home. Two homes are unnecessary to carry out the work as Peterborough’s representative in parliament, my home has been in Peterborough for many years - it is my home town. Stewart Jackson has recently threatened to curtail the homes building programme if the conservatives win the election telling councils such as Peterborough to cut back on the number of new homes. This will be of little comfort to those currently in overcrowded houses on waiting list, homeless or struggling to buy a home in Peterborough - a selfish arrogant approach from the member of parliament “

“I believe the time is now right for all parliamentary candidates to attend a public meeting in Peterborough to listen to voters and explain their position on expenses paid to politicians and under what circumstances any payments for a second home in Peterborough let alone the maintenance of a swimming pool can be justified”

Ed Murphy recently raised the matter of excessive financial payments and reward on national television and has initiated a debate on excessive salaries and bonuses and if the growing gap between those at the top of the wealth scale and those on a minimum wage can be morally correct.

Ed Murphy commented further “a person can only have one breakfast a day and certainly does not need two in separate houses”