As we trailed earlier today, the UK Parliament published the MPs expenses this morning.
We’ve spent the time between then and now going through Island MP, Andrew Turner’s set.
The first point to make is how tedious the process of trawling through all of this paperwork has been this morning.
Having looked through Andrew Turner’s – just one MP – we feel sorry for the team at The Telegraph who had to do the same process for all 600+ MPs – although there were 25 of them, it must have been difficult to have remained motivated through the process.
It’s also felt pretty voyeuristic reading through seemingly-endless pieces paper detailing what could be thought of as intimate items.
UPDATE: Andrew Turner’s office has been in touch and filled in a couple details, you’ll see them below.
Info blanked out
Those who have looked at the documents provided by Parliament (linked below) will have found that huge sections of the claim forms and the receipts have been blanked out. These include sales and invoice order numbers, name and address of some suppliers – as well the expected personal details of the MP, such as his address.
Some receipts are totally unreadable.
Here’s the detail
Much of the detail has been covered already, so it’s just the unexpected or locally interesting details that we’ve picked out below – in no particular order.
Household Office expenses are detailed in each claim period such as milk; coffee; bath tissue; sugar cubes; light bulbs (example)
Gardening claims £9/month, well under some of the more flamboyant claims of other MPs (UPDATE: and for the office we understand).
£50 Parking ticket – (UPDATE: Residents parking pass).
Cartoon depicting a geography lesson in progress £42. Andrew Turner used to be a geography teacher. (UPDATE: Used for annual newsletter)
Installation of replacement sanitary fixtures and fittings at the above address (blanked out), £2,700 in April 2006. (UPDATE: We’ve learned that this also includes re-decoration and pipe plumbing work).
Work carried out to the garden “at the above address” (blanked out), including the hire of a skip, £1,050. (UPDATE: For home)
House decoration March 2005, £2,500 and Same to hall and stairwell, £1,500.
The Jolly Williams Partnership, Solicitors: Professional charges for acting on your behalf in a claim against Anthony Morgan between May 2005 and March 2006 £2,327.00
County Press advertising
We haven’t singled out the CP on this, but their name popped up a lot, so made sense to detail. We’ve only listed the high value invoices, not the numerous low value items such as ones for £55.56.
Oct.07 £458.32 (invoiced via Marriott design as “Space cost”)
Oct.07 £648.13 (invoiced via Marriott design as “Space cost”)
Crossprint
The highest value invoices were for Crossprint (owned by the the County Press group) which related to the printing of around 45,000 copies of Andrew Turner’s yearly report and other printing.
Printing leaflet Jan 2008 £792
60,000 “Thank you” letters were sent out May.2005 (post election we assume) with the invoice going to the IW Conservative Association £1,254.91
Look for yourself
Andrew Turner’s officially-released MPs’ expenses.
