Readers may have seen the we ran article yesterday by Mrs Retired Hack about the inclusion of Isle of Wight MP, Andrew Turner, on a list of 341 MPs who have billed taxpayers for utility charges on their second homes.
Naturally, we got in touch with Mr Turner’s office for a comment. This afternoon we heard back from Mr Turner, who told OnTheWight,
“The electricity bill of just over £30 related to a one-bedroom flat that I rented in London.
“All utility bills for my home in Newport are of course paid personally, and in fact just last week I switched suppliers in order to make a significant saving on electricity and gas. I urge other people to consider doing the same.”
Hotel stays
Mr Turner went on to state that he’s now given up the lease on the London flat and will stay in a hotel when in London on business.
He said,
“I do need to stay in London to carry out my job; however it has become very clear to me that any claim relating to second homes is problematic, so when the lease for the flat came to an end I decided against renewing it.
“Like the majority of other business travellers I now stay in a hotel when I am away from home.”
Image: © IslandMP
