MP Steve McCabe paid back £2,000 in mortgage expenses

By Jonathan Walker on May 18, 09 10:49 PM in Politics

This is a story I have just sent over which may appear on the news section of the website soon:

Birmingham MP Steve McCabe over-claimed £2,000 for a mortgage from Commons expenses four years ago, he has admitted.

The MP said he had made a mistake in his expenses claim, and agreed to pay the money back as soon as the error was spotted.

Mr McCabe (Lab Hall Green), a Government whip, is highlighted in the latest round-up of expenses claims published by a national newspaper.

The Daily Telegraph said he had overclaimed on his mortgage by £4,059, but Mr McCabe said this figure was wrong.

He had in fact made a claim which was out by £2,000 after wrongly calculating the annual interest on his mortgage, when interest rates changed.

The claim was for a one-bedroom flat in London. Under Commons rules, MPs are allowed to claim for second homes used to allow them to carry out their Parliamentary roles.

Mr McCabe claims no subsidy on the home in Hall Green he shares with his partner.

He said: "If you look at the total figures for that year, I was actually the MP with the lowest total expenses claim.

"That's not what happens when someone is on the make. I made a simple mistake, which was corrected."

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5 Comments

Ursula said:

Jonathan, how convenient that, at these flustered times, the likes of McCabe "discover" a mistake which they then grandly offer to rectify.

I normally have a rather relaxed attitude to money - short of robbing a bank (HA! Now there is a thought if only to retrieve a ridiculous £38.00 charge for going overdrawn by 15 pence - yes, really). However, this "expenses" lark has really got me hopping mad. It's not exactly as if these guys and guyesses live on the bread line having to feed a dozen children - and, as needs must, hence the odd paperclip finding its way into one's briefcase.

What has happened is - under cover of twilight "rules" - daylight robbery. Let's get rid of the lot of them and start again. Oh the powers of democracy and its electorate!

Indeed, why not throw a carefully chosen contingent of MPs into the tower for a few days - no expenses spared (the Speaker presiding over their dinner of stale bread and tepid water) - and let them reflect on ethics.

May 19, 2009 9:59 AM

Sandy said:

Jonathan

I believe the majority of Steve McCabe’s constituents who know him, will recognize his as a man of integrity and a sense of justice. There have NEVER been any hard and fast rules on MPs expenses - Mr McCabe over claimed on his mortgage by £2,000 as long as four years ago for a "modest flat" - not a mansion! and hey, not a moat, plasma TV or floating duck house in sight!

Please - let’s have the maturity and insight to discriminate with a fair approach and not adopt this "one size fits all" attitude. Give credit for this actually being a genuine error.

NB: To whoever posted the blog on The Lone Voice? - My dear, you need to wash your mouth out, caustic soda and extra hot water should do the trick.

May 22, 2009 1:04 AM

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May 31, 2009 10:38 PM

Baydonhill Mortgages said:

Mortgage expenses are a joke, the banks make millions from these and then they go bust

November 11, 2009 3:12 PM

SEO said:

I would go to the financial ombudsman, these charges are ridiculous:SEO

November 11, 2009 3:14 PM