Backing reform and new speaker

The MP for Newark, Mr Patrick Mercer, has given his full support to the new Speaker of the House of Commons.

Mr John Bercow, the Conservative MP for Buckingham, was elected on Monday night after promising to bring about reform and heal public anger.

His election has been met with opposition by some Conservatives, but Mr Mercer said any talk of unseating him was unhelpful.

Mr Mercer thought Mr Bercow could deliver on his promise to bring about reform.

“He will certainly have the support of every right-thinking member of the house,” he said.

The Speaker controls the proceedings of the Commons, chairing debates, keeping order and calling on MPs to speak.

He is responsible for the running of much of Parliament, including the Fees Office, which administers MPs’ expenses.

Mr Mercer said the former Speaker, Mr Michael Martin, had been thrown to the vultures in the hope that the expenses scandal would be covered up.

“What is needed is a root and branch reform, which will be avoided in the most part, certainly by the Government,” Mr Mercer said.

He was disappointed the issue had become a battle for votes and not an issue of restoring public confidence.

Mr Mercer has issued a joint statement with five other Nottinghamshire MPs that welcomes two reviews of MPs’ expenses — an audit review and an independent impartial review. As well as Mr Mercer, the statement is signed by the MP for Sherwood, Mr Paddy Tipping, the MP for Ashfield, Mr Geoff Hoon, the MP for Nottingham East, Mr John Heppell, the MP for Nottingham North, Mr Graham Allen, and the MP for Gedling, Mr Vernon Coaker. In the statement they say urgent reform to the allowances system is long overdue.

MPs have two main allowances they can claim from — the additional cost allowance, known as the second home allowance, and the incidental expenses provision for costs incurred in the course of an MP’s duty, such as staff costs.

Mr Mercer said he spent every penny he could from his additional cost allowance on the mortgage and utility bills for his flat in London.

He is one of a large number of MPs to have claimed the maximum allowance of £23,083 last year.

From his incidental expenses provision, Mr Mercer spent about £2,000 on travel, including £97.17 on taxi fares and a £750.80 season ticket for Chiltern Railways.

The ticket was for a student from Leeds University, who was working for Mr Mercer at the time, to enable him to travel from his home to Westminster.

Mr Mercer’s biggest single claim within his incidental expenses provision last year was £3,877.50 for a research services contract with the Parliamentary Resources Unit.

He said the unit provided him with information to help him deal with queries from constituents about specific issues.

The rest of the money claimed, about £2,700, was for items such as office supplies, his BT landline, and room hire for constituency surgeries and meetings.

In total he claimed £9,482.78 from his incidental expenses provision, which is worth up to £22,193 a year.

Mr Mercer claimed £2,937.50 out of a maximum £10,400 from his communications allowance, introduced for the first time last year to enable MPs to communicate with constituents.

He paid Palace Computing, a London-based IT firm, for technical support for his website for a year.