Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, claimed £240 in taxpayer-funded expenses to buy an Apple iPhone for her husband according the latest Daily Telegraph revelation highlighting MPs' expenses.
According to the report, Jacqui Smith bought the phone for her husband Richard Tinmeny, who manages her Redditch constituency office, billing taxpayers for 90 per cent of the cost of the phone, on the basis that 90 per cent of the calls made would be work related.
The Daily Telegraph reports that in a letter sent to the Commons fees office in January 2008, Jacqui Smith wrote:
"Until now I have not claimed for the use of my mobile phone, nor that of Richard Timney. I should like to claim for both phones from now on and backdate the claim to the start of this financial year. I would estimate that 90 per cent of the costs are related to my work as an MP. I hope that this estimation is acceptable."
According to the the Telegraph, Jacqui Smith submitted a receipt from a Redditch shop, which showed she had paid £268 for the iPhone with an 18-month contract, claiming back £242.10. A source close to the MP and her husband told the newspaper that no monthly bills had been claimed for, adding the cost of the iPhone was comparable with the cost of a BlackBerry phone.
The traditionally Tory supporting newspaper has spent much of the last few weeks exposing MPs' expenses claims particularly Labour MPs', creating public outrage in the process.
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Comments received
Nyadach said on Mon, 25 May 2009
It's simple, if this was for "work" use, it should be govermentally encrypted and secure. It's not, thereby it wasn't for governmental use, and she can pay for her out of her overpaid salery.
@ Nyadach said on Mon, 25 May 2009
Why encrypted and 'secure? She's an MP, not the SAS. Most of the work she does, and the phone calls she makes as part of that work, should be transparent and open to critique by the public.
If she needs to talk about matters of national security, then there's secure fixed lines for that.
Dan said on Mon, 25 May 2009
Can't see anything wrong with this, more Telegraph muck raking. Do they expects MPs to use a £15 Nokia pay as you go mobile? The Daily Mail makes mention of being able to watch videos on an iPhone, hinting that her husband might be up to no good based on renting those PPV late night movies.
Jim T said on Mon, 25 May 2009
Anyone paying that much for a phone needs locking up.
greendave said on Mon, 25 May 2009
Using taxpayers' money .... why an iphone to run her constituency office? There are hundreds of free phones that would work just fine for running her office - they are not part of a corporate network. Also, like I said, this is taxpayers money - they should be trying to do it as cost-effectively as possible.
Tim Aiton said on Mon, 25 May 2009
Greedy bitch.
TOO much sponging off the backs of hardworking people.
They earn more than we do and work less, their expenses need to be vetted by a committee of taxpayers who should have the power to fine, prosicute, sack MPs' who flout the regulations. Any MPs' who refuse to co-operate should have their properties and assest seized as punishment.
The rules also need to be rewritten, by the taxpayers/
Notwasock said on Tue, 26 May 2009
@Tim Aiton
Yup - all MPs should earn what you do.
Burger flipping to law-passing in one easy step.
Baskaran said on Tue, 26 May 2009
If an MP can not even pay for his own Phone and need to claim from the public funds - I think UK should be sent back to a list of developing countries. Politicians should be paid enough to have a decent living - not to count pennies and everything to do public service.
Kadoogan said on Tue, 26 May 2009
Can't say I have that much of an issue with this case, unlike some of the ridiculous claims we have heard about recently. If I were an MP I would expect to need a phone to do my job, and would see it as being reasonable to expect it to be paid for to the extent it will be used for that purpose. I would also want one with some decent organisational features, and therefore not a cheap PAYG (which almost certainly wouldn't be the most cost-effective solution anyway).
There are plenty of MP's that deserve to lose their position. Not seeing any cause for outrage in this case. Just seems some folk are being conditioned to being outraged at everything MP's claim for now, whether reasonable or not.
kevin said on Tue, 26 May 2009
So now we are paying for the her husbands iPhone now. Last time it was the Cable bill when he ordered the playboy channel, lol
qjames said on Tue, 26 May 2009
Muck-raking? This is your tax money being spent on trivial trinkets, duck houses, hob-nobs and the things we have to pay for. Amazing how easy it is to spend someone else's money.
Ascylto said on Wed, 27 May 2009
Well, if she claimed for a £15 Nokia paygo phone for Richard ("Dickie"?) he could throw it away after using it for a while thus defeating Jackboot Jacqui's desire to have access to all email, phone calls etc., as part of the Stalinisation of the country.
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