Constituents deserve a full explanation from Mr Mackay

8.59.43pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 6th Apr 2009

Dear Sir

Andrew Mackay cannot be allowed to get away with the fact that he and his wife, who is also an MP, claimed the largest second-home allowance in 2007/08.

No wonder Mr Mackay chose to vote with the Labour Government last year to keep the allowance. Since the figures were first published in 2001/02, he and his wife have claimed around £285,000 towards the cost of their London home, which is estimated to be worth about £2million.

Constituents deserve a full explanation from Mr Mackay for the way in which he has exploited the current arrangements. MPs whose constituencies are within reasonable travelling distance of Parliament should not need to claim a second-home allowance at all. Not one Liberal Democrat MP has done so. All that is needed is an allowance to cover unavoidable overnight stays in London.

The average pay and allowances of MPs is now about £150,000 a year. It is all the more surprising therefore that Mr Mackay and his wife also felt it necessary to claim £1800 last year for attending official functions in each other's constituency. No other couple did so.

Mr Mackay says 'it is deeply regrettable that some MPs expenses have caused a loss of public confidence in Parliament.' What did he expect when his own expenses are a classic example!

The sooner the standards commission completes its inquiry into MPs expenses and comes forward with more robust and acceptable proposals for dealing with such excesses the better.

Ray Earwicker

Lib Dem Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Bracknell