The Mirror newspaper says eight members of the new Boris Johnson-led Cabinet are buy to let investors - and it accuses them of claiming expenses to rent homes near Parliament even though in some cases their own properties are close by.
The newspaper says the eight claimed a total of £145,838 back from taxpayers last year for properties they rented while in London. The Mirror claims:
- Defence Secretary Ben Wallace claimed £27,550 for rent in 2018/19 but lets out a flat in south-west London;
- Conservative chairman James Cleverly billed taxpayers £14,400 while letting out a house in Lewisham “just seven miles from Westminster”;
- Northern Powerhouse minister Jake Berry claimed £13,050 for rent and receives income from three houses in Anglesey;
- Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns claimed £18,900 for rent but let a property in Cardiff to tenants;
- Scottish Secretary Alister Jack claimed £11,310 while earning income from two cottages in his Dumfries and Galloway constituency;
- Security Minister Brandon Lewis (a former housing minister in the David Cameron-led coalition government) charged £21,795 and lets out his home in Essex;
- Attorney General Geoffrey Cox charged £22,680 while letting a property in London and farmland in west Devon;
- Chief Whip Mark Spencer claimed £16,153 for hotels while letting out a farm.
All of the ministers’ claims are within the law and they have all declared their buy to let income.
The Mirror says that on top of their £79,468 MPs’ salaries, ministers receive at least £31,680 for extra responsibilities.
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A lot of these ( not all ) are Non-stories. ! where the Mirror are trying to 'make a story '
If an MP has a house in Wales, what's that got to do with him having to rent somewhere in London where he has to work as an M.P.
Let’s hope this lot have an understanding of landlords and the PRS then
Disgraceful. Seems they can make money but legitimate businesses cannot.
They should be forced to deduct the rent from the house they rent out from the one they rent to live in.
Pigs with their snouts in the trough.
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