The MPs in question are now being contacted and asked to repay the fines.
Four MPs claimed their driving fines worth hundreds of pounds on expenses, despite it being against the rules. They include a government minister, two Tory MPs and an SNP representative.
Amanda Solloway, a minister in the energy department and who is also a government whip,
claimed back an £80 fixed penalty notice issued by Transport for London in July 2020.
Simon Hoare, who represents North Dorset, also put his driving fines on expenses, claiming four times for £80 fines issued in November 2019. Bim Afolami, Tory MP for Hitchin and Harpenden, claimed for two £80 fines in December 2021.
Dave Doogan, SNP MP for Angus, claimed for a £160 fine in January 2022.
The MPs were slammed for their ‘contempt of taxpayers’. Broadcaster Jemma Forte told Sky News: “Certain factions of the media talk about benefit scroungers, and that’s precisely what this is, it’s scrounging.”
The MPs in question are now being contacted and asked to repay the fines.
A spokesperson for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) told Sky News: “MPs are not allowed to claim for penalty charges and fines under IPSA rules.
“IPSA’s checks failed in some cases to identify these claims and some of them were paid.
“We will contact MPs and ask them to repay, where appropriate. We have changed our process to ensure any future such claims are not paid, and will reiterate the scheme rules to MPs.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
(Picture credit: Diliff – Creative Commons)
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