TWO Ryedale politicians have come under fire for their expenses claims.

The Daily Telegraph has highlighted the expenses claims of both Ryedale MP John Greenway, and Anne McIntosh, MP for the Vale of York and Prospective Parliamentary candidate for the new Thirsk and Malton division.

In an article published in the national newspaper last week, Mr Greenway was criticised for spending £500 on flowers for his second home in London and £3,500 on household goods and furnishings, including a £399 flat-screen television.

The newspaper also reported that Mr Greenway claimed for a 59p box of matches, two 99p boxes of firelighters, eight mulled wine sachets; four bags of compost, a trellis, plant food, cups and saucers worth £44, a £24 lavatory brush and a £30 casserole dish. He is also said to have claimed £1,900 to redecorate the hall, kitchen, bathroom and stairs of his home, in 2004/5 and 2005/6.

The Telegraph also reported that Miss McIntosh had claimed more than £5,000 for gardening at her constituency home in Yorkshire.

In 2006, she was asked for proof that her rent or mortgage on her second home amounted to £621 a month, because she had not offered proof since 2000.

In a statement, Mr Greenway said he was ‘deeply saddened’ that the newspaper had chosen to “sensationalise” his expenses claims.

He said the article suggested he had deliberately spent money on doing up his old home in Kennington, London, before he sold it on.

He said that this was “never the case”, because the figure of £1,900 was the total of two years’ claims for repairs, all made by Mr Greenway in good faith.

He said: “The pattern of spending on my London home entirely reflects spending on my main home in North Yorkshire which, quite rightly, comes out of my own pocket.

“Many people in Ryedale are aware of the change in my personal circumstances between 2003 and 2006 which led to my decision to sell the house in Kennington and move to West London.

“I was correctly assessed for, and paid, capital gains tax when I sold the property and I made no claim for removal costs, stamp duty, improvements to or furnishings for the new house.”

He said that the current publication of MPs expense claims showed a need for urgent reform.

Miss McIntosh was unavailable for comment.

Call for figures to be published fails

EXPENSES claims for local councillors have still not been published, despite calls to make them available to the public.

Although Ryedale District Council publishes the councillors’ allowances on its website, a list of claims for extra expenses, such as travel and meals, will not be available until the end of the month.

This is despite calls from both the Liberal councillor John Clark, and Conservative councillor Keith Knaggs to have the expenses published.

Coun Clark said: “In the present climate it is totally wrong for the expenses not to be published.”

At a meeting of Ryedale District Council last month, Coun Clark asked the council to debate publishing a full report on councillors’ expenses claims, but councillors voted that the matter was not urgent business.

Coun Keith Knaggs, council leader, agreed with Coun Clark, and said he thought that it was very important that the expenses were published. He said this was needed to restore public confidence in local government.

Later in the meeting, Janet Waggott, the council’s chief executive, announced that the expenses were available on the council’s website.

The Gazette & Herald rang the council to find out where the expenses could be found on the website, but RDC was only able to provide details of the members’ allowances.

The allowances, which range between £336.34 and £3,465.60, are the standard amount of money paid to each councillor to compensate them for the job they do. Councillors with extra responsibilities receive additional allowances, for example, £1,732.80 for the chairman of the scrutiny committee. Allowances do not include extras such as meals and transport to meetings.

In a statement, Janet Waggott said: “Details of the Ryedale District Council’s members’ allowances are published on the Ryedale District Council website.

“This includes details of all councillors’ basic allowances, and special responsibility allowances.

“Due to changes in regulations, details of the 2008 and 2009 allowances will also include travel and subsistence claims.

“These will be published on our website late this month.”