Charles Walker has been Conservative MP for Broxbourne since 2005.
Two years ago, as a Home Counties Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Broxbourne, I gave up the Additional Cost Allowance (ACA) in favour of commuting into London on a daily basis. This was a decision that best met my personal circumstances. Turning my back on the ACA does not make me a saint (far from it) but simply reflects the fact that I have no overriding ambition to serve on the Frontbench and that I prefer being with my family than staring at four walls in London.
Despite not claiming for a second home, I recognise the hours that many colleagues work makes having a place to stay in London essential. For this reason, I took a keen interest in the Kelly inquiry, suggesting that the second home allowance of £24,000 be paid as non-pensionable income, taxed at 41%, with any reimbursements negotiated with Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs. Making the taxman the arbiter of the allowance would go some way towards restoring the public’s confidence in their elected representatives. This approach would also do away with layers of expensive bureaucracy in the House of Commons Fees Office.
The argument I put forward was reflected in the submissions of other colleagues, who shared my desire to see Members of Parliament argue the toss over permitted expenditure with the taxman rather than the Fees Office. Unfortunately, it seems that Sir Christopher Kelly may have chosen to travel down a different path. Below, I have set out a brief, non-exhaustive resume of the pros and cons of his likely findings:
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