No expense spared ... to look after local needs
LINLITHGOW councillors could teach their Westminster colleagues a lesson in frugal living, after expenses claims totalled less than £9000 between three of them.
Details of Tom Kerr, Tom Conn and Martyn Day's expenses have been unveiled by West Lothian Council.
All three councillors receive a salary as elected members, like any councillor in Scotland, but can then submit claims for out of pocket expenses such as mileage, conference attendance and phone use.
Labour's Tom Conn didn't claim a penny back from the council, and only has a 355.81 bill against his name for his WLC Blackberry mobile phone – an amount he doesn't claim, but is bought in his name by the council.
The next up is SNP's Martyn Day, who claimed a total of 3552.90, with the majority of that amount going on mileage.
And Provost Tom Kerr, a Conservative councillor, had the largest claim of 4695.85, with just over half on mileage, some on phone costs, and 1507 on other expenses, which include host duties as Provost for visiting dignatories, and flights for council business.
Councillor Kerr said: ''I would suggest that your elected representatives at a local level put in as many – if not more – hours on behalf of their constituents than many of our MSPs and MPS, many of whom have filed immoral expense claims while others have outside jobs.
''Local councillors, I think, are good value considering that we can be out seven days and seven nights a week.''
Labour councillor Tom Conn explained his decision not to make any claims: ''I am in a job, and get a salary from that, my wife works, why should I claim expenses?
''It is a personal decision, and I make no comment about anybody else.
''They are entitled to make a claim.''
The SNP's Councillor Martyn Day added: ''Our expenses are entirely accountable and very scrutinised. I think there is an old adage that 90 per cent of politicians give the other 10 per cent a bad name.''
editorial@journalandgazette.co.uk
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Weather for Linlithgow
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North east
