Downing Street to struggle on with expenses vote
By Alex Stevenson
MPs will vote on the government’s interim proposals for reforming their expenses next week, despite a lack of agreement in last night’s meeting of party leaders.
Gordon Brown met David Cameron and Nick Clegg to discuss the unexpected proposals laid before parliament by leader of the House Harriet Harman on Tuesday.
Although agreement was reached on most issues, consensus could not be achieved on the biggest sticking point – replacing the second homes allowance with a flat rate based on daily attendance of parliament.
Downing Street will push ahead with a vote next week on a package including all elements of its proposals.
It is not clear what will happen to the majority of areas where the prime minister’s spokesman said there is “overwhelming support” from all parties if the package is defeated because of the daily rate controversy.
These include forcing MPs to reveal full details of their second homes, making the Commons the employer of MPs’ staff and requiring full receipts for expense claims.
The government has until next week to persuade opposition parties the interim proposals are worthy of their support.
But practical difficulties about basing payment on the daily attendance of MPs appear to be threatening cooperation.
One Conservative frontbencher told politics.co.uk he would be forced to change his weekly routine in order to continue paying his running costs.
And MPs raised their concerns to Ms Harman in the Commons this lunchtime.
On the need for a daily attendance, she said: “There would have to be evidence that there had been attendance in Westminster on parliamentary or ministerial duty, otherwise it wouldn’t be justifiable to claim or the extra expense of having to do your job in your constituency and Westminster at the same time.”
And on the cost of running the new system, she added: “A flat rate daily payment would be cheaper to administer than processing the myriad of receipts that come with the current ACA system.”
The government’s proposals would be replaced when Sir Christopher Kelly completes his review of MPs’ allowances.
Downing Street has admitted there is “no simple unambiguous answer that’s going to please everybody”.
But it remains determined to implement quick reforms to quell public opposition to the current system.
“It’s right that we act now,” the prime minister’s spokesman said. Ms Harman added: “The public are not accepting of the current situation. They want change.”
