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Andrew MacKay MP must pay back £31,193 following the expenses scandal

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Andrew MacKay must repay £31,193 in expenses cash

By Hugh Fort
February 04, 2010

Bracknell’s MP has been ordered to pay back more than £30,000 of wrongly claimed mortgage expenses and cleaning bills.

Sir Thomas Legg’s report into the expenses scandal released this morning has decided Andrew MacKay wrongly claimed mortgage payments on a London flat he designated as his second home.

He will now have to pay back £29,243.

The report also reveals he overclaimed £1,950 for cleaning, meaning he will pay back a total of £31,193.

Do you agree with the amount Mr MacKay must repay? Vote here

His wife, Julie Kirkbride, MP for Bromsgrove, has also been asked to pay back a total of £29,243, of which she has already paid back £1,811.64, leaving £27,431.36 to pay.

In total, the couple will pay back a total of £60,436.

The report said: “The fundamental reason why the arrangement you made cannot be regarded as acceptable is that they lost sight to the purpose of Additional Cost Allowance (ACA), which was to assist members to fund the cost of accommodation when they needed a second home to fulfil their duties.

Read Sir Thomas' full judgement here

“It was never intended to relieve them of the costs of their main home and operated it in such a way as to achieve that result.”

Mr MacKay appealed against both the mortgage repayments and the cleaning bill but failed.

Protesters demand Andrew MacKay 'pays up' expenses cash

His wife also appealed and failed.

Both are standing down at the next election because of their roles in the scandal.

Bracknell MP Andrew MacKay to step down

Do you think Andrew MacKay has got off lightly? Leave your comments below.

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At the public meeting in Bracknell the Rt. Honourable Andrew Mackay repeatedly said that he would repay whatever amount he was asked to. But when he is asked to repay a paltry £30,000 he appeals against the decision. So he's a liar as well as an industrial-scale expense fiddler.

Bracknell is well rid of this dishonourable man.