by Stephen Moore
This article first appeared in the Tottenham Journal on 20th May 2009.
HARINGEY'S MPs say they have nothing to hide on expenses, despite this week's Parliamentary row.
Claims for a £1,350 home office makeover and a £50 desk fan were among the most controversial of the claims made by Tottenham's Labour MP David Lammy. And Lynne Featherstone, the Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, was credited by The Daily Telegraph itself on Monday as one MP "who refused to milk the system".
Neither MP claims for a second home - although Mr Lammy did have a flat in South London he claimed a total of £25,263 for between 2002 and 2004, which he no longer owns.
Both claim the London supplement of £2,812 instead.
In 2007/08, the last year for which figures are available, Mr Lammy claimed £133,224 in expenses, and Ms Featherstone £129,431. This puts them in 497th and 538th places respectively, out of 645 MPs in Parliament.
Justifying the £94,107 she claimed for staff wages - the 77th highest in Parliament and slightly more than Mr Lammy's claim of £93,013, the 102nd highest - Ms Featherstone said: "You get the same staffing allowance in London as you do in the Outer Hebrides and I am at the higher end because, obviously, staff cost more in London.
"I have a constituency which is one of the hardest working in the country, with 200-400 contacts per day. There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. These are totally justifiable."
Mr Lammy spent £464 to send each of his office staff on a one-day course on "achieving goals and managing time," and claimed back costs for maintaining his website at £135 per month until brokering an "in-kind" deal with the providers in late 2006.
Both MPs called for the allowances system to be overhauled to maintain public faith in democracy.
Mr Lammy's claims for printer cartridges, phone bills and other stationary made up the bulk of his office costs after staff wages.
He opened his expenses books for inspection by the Journal alongside Tony Hartney, headteacher of Gladesmore Community School in South Tottenham, Haringey TUC chairman Keith Flett, Julie Davies, the secretary of Haringey NUT, and Lynne Hale, director of Haringey Shed theatre. All were satisfied with what they saw.
Mr Lammy said: "The bulk of my claims are for running the busiest office in the country with a massive caseload here in Tottenham."
He added: "I am utterly appalled by some of what we have seen over the last two weeks, shocked by some of the claims that have been made, and I think they are truly detached from some of the experiences of the people living in my constituency.
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