Here are your 'real' scroungers

Peer claims £300-a-day expenses despite living 200m from House of Lords

Baroness Wilcox can walk to work in just a few minutes, but can still claim the full daily tax-free allowance



Members of the House of Lords can claim £300 a day in expenses - even if they only have to travel 200m to get to work.

One peer, Baroness Wilcox was revealed last night to have claimed up to £5,700 a month in allowances, when she walks just a few minutes to get to work in the morning.

Baroness Wilcox, a 74-year-old former director of Cadbury Schweppes, claims the tax free payment despite her £4m home being 200m from the House of Lords.

It comes as the excesses of the upper chamber are under the spotlight after Lord Sewel's resignation from the House after a video appeared to show him snorting cocaine with prostitutes.

According to an investigation published in the Daily Mail, 124 of the 161 Lords living in London have claimed the tax-free daily allowance this year.

Life peer Baron Sewel cannot be stripped of his title, despite resigning in disgrace.

And until a Lords committee meets in September, still be able to access the Parliamentary estate - and use subsidised dining rooms and cafes.

Retiring MPs are also entitled to a lavish retirement party - a perk introduced in 2014 to encourage older members to retire.

Labour MP John Mann said the peers' daily allowance is "a scandal as big as the MPs' expenses scandal."

He added: "There is a lack of transparency, no evidence even whether these people stay around once they have signed for their money.

"The place is mired in sleaze, people doing business deals, exploiting their position, and the abuse of expenses is just one strand of it."

A House of Lords spokesperson said: "The allowance introduced in 2010 is based on attendance, not residence.

"Members of the House of Lords are not paid a salary. They can claim £300 or £150 for every day they attend the House and undertake parliamentary work. This system has been in place since 2010. Only members outside of greater London may claim travel costs.

"Members are expected to pay for any costs associated with attending the House such as their London accommodation, as well any staff costs from this. The total costs of Lords expenses in 2013/14 was £21.4m. which equates to 6p a month for each UK tax payer."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/peer-claims-300-day-expenses-6158023

Oh, it's ok, she's not fat, we'll let her keep it!

£300 a day vs £75 a week on the dole
and some people grudge that but not the other you couldn`t make this up could you

just as well you don`t have to i guess

What do they do that is worth £300 a day? Sack them all bar 200 and make that 100 labour supporters and 100 Tory supporters. Better idea, sack the fcuking lot of 'em and reduce the number of MPs by half. 99% of all of them are a waste of money!!

You're gonna spoil Cameron's fun Nicko, he's about to make loads more Conservatives Lords!

He's trying to even up the numbers I suppose. They 'r all a waste of space!

Couldn't agree more.

nicko wrote:What do they do that is worth £300 a day?    Sack them all bar 200 and make that 100 labour supporters and 100 Tory supporters.     Better idea, sack the fcuking lot of 'em and reduce the number of MPs by half.   99% of all of them are a waste of money!!

get fat

Sleep

Buy paints!

The old system of hereditary peers was better in many ways...