Allister demands the same retrospective correction on MLAs expenses as for MPs
15 October 2009
Statement by TUV Leader Jim Allister
“I will not pretend surprise at the revelation that Sinn Fein has been ripping off the taxpayer by siphoning off office cost allowances into its party headquarters. It is not credible to believe that centrally Sinn Fein genuinely provided £2 million of secretarial and research services to its MLAs. Moreover, the equivalence between the various claims of each MLA suggests military-style orchestration, but then no surprise there.
“I am calling on Speaker Hay to immediately establish a Sir Thomas Legg type investigation, with powers to retrospectively cap payments by MLAs to their parties. Why should MPs be subjected to retrospective correction, but MLAs immune from such rectitude being brought to their expenditure.
“Though not surprised by Sinn Fein’s abuse of the system, I am staggered by the £26,000 expenditure by Lord Browne on fitting out and equipping his rented office at Holywood Road, Belfast. This new office is in the same block as my own. Mine is twice as big and certainly I only needed to spend a fraction of what Lord Brown has claimed to equip mine to the high standard which it enjoys. So, I do believe Lord Brown owes a very full and detailed explanation in order to justify this scale of expenditure of taxpayers’ money.
“I would also call on the DUP to say if the firm, or the owner thereof, to which this taxpayers’ money was paid has ever made a contribution, in money or kind, to the Party and, if so, how much?.”
