Paul Rowen's expenses

Posted By: Ibrar Khan
Date Posted: 02/06/2009

The MPs expenses scandal has exposed a huge abuse of power in Westminster and I condemn MPs from all parties who have failed to live up to the high standards that we expect from holders of public office.

No one should escape scrutiny in this scandal, which is why I believe our own MP, Paul Rowen, needs to be held accountable for his expense claims. Given that he is in the top ten per cent of highest claiming MPs I was surprised to see him confidently assert that he is “good value for money”. 

Is it really good value for Rochdale that the taxpayer pays his £305,000 mortgage, nearly £2,000 on food and over £9,000 on stamp duty? And while the Lib Dems have sat back and watched our town centre be overtaken by neighbouring towns, is it really good value for the taxpayer to be forking out on Paul Rowen's interior decorating, DVD players, vacuum cleaners, bins and bedroom furniture to keep him living in comfort? I’m not convinced.

I’m even less convinced that we should be paying to promote the Liberal Democrats on their leaflets and even on adverts at the local football club. But that is a matter for the fees office to investigate.

Anyone who claims their expenses are good value for money should measure this against what they have managed to deliver for their constituents. In Paul Rowen’s case he has overseen a huge loss of jobs, as Rochdale has been hit harder by the recession than anywhere else in Greater Manchester. He has watched our town centre lose a third of its shops while plans to regenerate it had to be abandoned. And on his watch more people are leaving Rochdale than anywhere else in Greater Manchester.

With a record like this, over half a million pounds that he's claimed in MPs expenses does not seem like good value for money to me.