SF have brass neck on expenses
Sir, In response to the letter in Friday's Derry Journal – 'Sundries bloody sundries' – from Martina Anderson's press officer Mark Mullan, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify a few points and say Sinn Fein has a brass neck to attack anyone regarding MPs' expenses.
First of all, it is important to point out to your readers that SDLP MP Eddie McGrady's hotel bills averages at 4,250 a year.
On average the DUP MPs spend over 20,000 each year on accommodation and last year alone the five Sinn Fein MPs claimed 105,131 on accommodation, from an allowance designed to assist with overnight accommodation when attending Parliament.
Mr McGrady is a full-time MP yet claims a fraction of the permissible amount and is the lowest claimant of all Northern Ireland's MPs.
Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams jointly claimed expenses of 3,600 a month to rent a shared two-bedroom flat. A local estate agent, who knows the properties, said a fair monthly rent for the flat would be 1,400.
The three other Sinn Fein MPs together claimed 5,400 a month to rent a shared, modern town house, which the estate agent said would rent on the open market for around 1,800 a month.
Even with my bad arithmetic that means Sinn Fein are 'over-claiming' almost 6,000 a month, almost 70,000 a year.
Eddie McGrady claimed less for four full years than Adams, McGuinness and co. each claimed for one year!
Those London flats must have marble floors and gold taps!
Not that Conor saw much of his – admitting he was only there one night in a full year.
Instead of attacking an SDLP MP who doesn't even claim in a year what Sinn Fein are 'over-claiming' every month, the real question that Martin McGuinness et al. should be answering is: How is it that each of Sinn Fein's five MPs can pocket an extra 14,000 a year, almost 300 a week, either for themselves, or for their party?
Sinn Fein tell the Commons fees office that they go to Westminster to do business, yet they tell voters they don't attend Westminster. It really can't be both. Which is it?
Whether it has been John Hume or Mark Durkan at the helm, the SDLP has always been, and will always remain, a party of integrity.
And I can think of 5,957 reasons why the people of Derry will remember this at the next Westminster election – that was the SDLP's margin of victory last time out when Mark Mullan and his friends in Sinn Fein were telling everyone they were going to take the seat.
See you at the ballot box Mr Mullan.
Yours,
SDLP Councillor Colum Eastwood
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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