The MP for Coventry North West Taiwo Owatemi reportedly made the claim after her landlord at her second home in London imposed a pet surcharge
A minister has criticised expenses rules after a Labour MP was able to claim £900 for “pet rent” for her cockapoo Bella.
Taiwo Owatemi – the MP for Coventry North West – made the claim after her landlord at her second home imposed a pet surcharge, according to The Times. The expense claim in August last year is listed as “pet rent” by the MPs’ expenses watchdog, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA).
IPSA approved the expenses claims, which is not in breach of the rules. A spokesman for the watchdog also told The Times: “On this occasion, Ipsa agreed to fund a surcharge but gave incorrect advice as to how it should be described. We have apologised directly to the MP and are sorry for any confusion.”
Security minister Dan Jarvis insisted the MP, who is also a government whip, followed the rules when she made the expenses claim in August last year. But he said the “rules can’t be right” and urged IPSA to change them.
Mr Jarvis told LBC: “I wouldn’t do that, haven’t done that. Therefore, I think it can’t be right that the rules allow any Member of Parliament to do that. That is why the Government will be making representations to Ipsa… to ask them to look very carefully at the detail of this particular rule.
“It’s important to say that the MP in question, she hasn’t done anything wrong in that she’s followed the rules as they are at the moment, but we don’t think that those rules can be right and that’s why the government will flag it with IPSA.”
It was put to Mr Jarvis by LBC that a Labour MP claiming an expense for pet rent as the Government cut benefits was not a good look. He replied: “Yeah. That is why the Government will be raising concerns about this particular rule and we will pick that up with IPSA.”
A spokesman for IPSA told The Times: “MPs are required to work in two places: their constituency and in Westminster. Ipsa is committed to supporting a parliament where people without the private finances to fund working from two locations themselves are not prevented from becoming an MP.
“That is why we fund accommodation costs, within strict limits. It is common for landlords to include additional surcharges in rental agreements. On this occasion, Ipsa agreed to fund a surcharge but gave incorrect advice as to how it should be described. We have apologised directly to the MP and are sorry for any confusion.”
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