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‘You’re jealous,’ says departing MP
Tory’s outburst over his ‘Balmoral-style’ home comes as MPs start to think, ‘Sod this for a game of soldiers’
The latest MP to be forced out by the expenses scandal now decimating the House of Commons has not gone quietly. In an extraordinary outburst on BBC Radio, Anthony Steen, the Tory member for Totnes who claimed £80,000 of taxpayers' money for the upkeep of his Devon mansion, said voters were merely "jealous" of his "very, very large house".
"I have done nothing criminal," he said of his claims for the treatment of trees - among other things - in the grounds of the £1m house. "Do you know what it's all about? Jealousy.
"I have got a very, very large house, some people say it looks like Balmoral. . . but it's a merchant's house of the 19th century. It's not particularly attractive, it just does me nicely."
Steen, who believes the public have no right to know how he spends his second-home allowance, is one of a growing number of Parliamentarians to announce - some of them under duress from party leaders - that they will be standing down at the next general election.
But there are increasing worries in Westminster that many more MPs will stand down because they fear Parliament will never again be the place it was. MPs' salaries will have to be jacked up considerably to match what is certain to be taken away by a review of the expenses system - and constituents will be in no mood to support high pay rises.
One Tory MP told The First Post: "There's going to be a lot of us saying 'Sod this for a game of soldiers'. There's got to be a better way to make a living."
He raised the spectre of more MPs volunteering to quit supposedly "on principle", because they've submitted dodgy expense claims, but actually just glad to get out. ·
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Poor old Anthony Steen only said publicly what many MPs are saying privately and has been made an example of. Cameron needs to be careful. He claimed 80,000 in additional costs for his second home in Oxfordshire between 2004 and 2008. But what is Cameron doing with a mortgage to start with? He's a multimillionaire. He's related to the Queen. His wife's an Astor who earns 300,000 p.a. According to reports they're worth jointly some 30 million. Is his mortgage an accounting device so he can claim public money for mortgage interest? In which case what makes him so different from Mr Steen? He'll face a rebellion from senior Tories if he carries on like this.
If all MP's who have spent OUR money clearing out their moats, 'paying' for already paid off mortages, & stuffing their faces at the communal trough while the rest of us are losing our jobs & homes & are struggling to survive, would like to go, & any decent hard working MPs who aren't in the above category would like to come forward & prove it, then maybe we could trust them to run the show.... maybe...?????
Peevish, petulant and pompous!
Anyone who has ever seen even an image of Balmoral Castle knows that it bears not the faintest resemblance to the Steen home!
Yet another example of the bizarre fantasy world of Anthony Steen where revulsion at him behaving in a despicable, disgusting and ultimately disappointing manner morphs into jealousy.
This man is an insult to the conservitive party and the tax payer. He just doesn't get honour does he? Pathetic worm.
Dear Sirs, Regarding Mr Steen, it seems to me, from what I have seen of him previously, has not been down to earth on how the other half live. I am so pleased that he is not my MP, I live in the Teignbridge area in Devon and I respect what our MP has done for his constituency. He is Mr Richard Younger-Ross, who has worked so hard for us, he has always been ready to listen and is concerned with what has been happening with the people who live here who have had problems. I do hope that the Teignbridge people vote him in again when the time comes. Regards Brenda Kirk from Kingsteignton.
My initial reaction to this article is probably what a lot of the general voting public feel : good bye and good riddance - the gravy train has finally been exposed for what it is, and a lot of the leeches have been shown up. One law for us and another one for you.....
"He raised the spectre of more MPs volunteering to quit supposedly "on principle", because they've submitted dodgy expense claims, but actually just glad to get out."
If this is how they feel then I can only say that we are better off without them. I would like to see them all depart and try to earn their living in the real world like the rest of us have to do.
I emailed this man and pointed out (since he seemed to lack the intelligence to understand) that people had EVERY right to review his expenditure since it was THEIR money he was lashing out. I also told him that his arrogance more befitted the 18th century. How removed from reality can one be!!