What he didn't say in his letter is that he has this information because Mark has published all his London costs on his website, www.markdurkan.ie. Mark even sent out a twitter message on the internet so that people would know. Mark's transparency is in stark contrast to the broad and undocumented figures made available by Sinn Fein, despite the fact that the media has failed to challenge Sinn Fein to publish more details.
Amazingly Mark Mullan criticises the local MP for claiming LESS money for the cost of actually staying in London than any of the five Sinn Fein MPs. Of course, he actually goes to Parliament to fight for the interests of local people whereas Sinn Fein don't actually bother turning up to do the job.
By any standard of maths, that simply doesn't add up.
Also, according to Sinn Fein, they also claim for council tax and utility bills. I hope Mr Mullan isn't suggesting one rule for Sinn Fein, and one for everyone else? Given that Sinn Fein MPs presumably spend a lot of time around their London homes (as they clearly aren't in Westminster arguing their case), their utility costs are surprisingly much higher than Mark Durkan's.
And can Mr Mullan please explain why Sinn Fein needs to claim inflated London rents to cover parking charges? They must have a lot of time on their hands if they are driving down to London from Stranraer.
Are the public to rest assured by Sinn Fein's admission that these expenses go into party coffers? Surely expenses are for compensating for costs borne by the MPs in their duties, not for taxpayers' money to be used to inflate any political party coffers.
Mr Mullan feels aggrieved that begging bowl Sinn Fein has been deprived of research monies from Westminster. That is presumably because they hardly need to research the whole range of Westminster bills that working MPs actually have to brief up on. The sorts of things that Sinn Fein don't turn up to argue on and win on like the Desmonds Pensioners' rights, tackling climate change and secret inquests. Or dozens of others every month.
Still, at least he assures us that the party's paid activists, including elected representatives, take home the same average industrial wage. Would that be to their main residence or their holiday home in Donegal?
Sinn Fein's sums don't add up and nor do their arguments.
Yours,
Councillor Colum Eastwood