Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely has given an explanation of his 2019-20 expenses, which have come in at £40,000 above average.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has published the total amount claimed by every MP in the country, with the average expenditure being £157,747.
Due to a news article published elsewhere, which Bob says gives a ‘misleading impression’, he has issued an explanation and breakdown of the expenses.
Mr Seely has said:
“When MPs’ expenses are published they are rightly scrutinised. However, there is a media report circulating that I “spent nearly £200,000 in expenses.” This headline gives, I believe, an entirely misleading impression. The facts are these:
“The ‘expenses’ referred to are the running costs for my office. The overwhelming majority of expenditure by an MP is in staffing. My Parliamentary team consists of six members of staff. MPs’ staff have their wages set in part by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA). Once someone’s pay is agreed, it is paid by IPSA. It is automatic. It is independent. Any impression that I claim this as ‘expense’ is inaccurate.
“Other costs include the costs of running an office in Cowes, including paying for utilities, staff training, rent, and constituency surgery costs. These are dealt with by my office manager. She does an excellent job, as do all my team.
“These are not personal expenses. I am not in any way ‘reimbursed’ for these. They are the costs of running a team of people. The so-called expenses are overwhelmingly office costs.
Article continues below this advertisement “More generally;
“As soon as I became MP, I wanted to make sure that my office allowance was spent well, and spent on the Island. First, I based my office in Northwood House in Cowes. Northwood is run by a charitable trust and by using my office allowance to rent rooms at Northwood, I can support the important work the Trust does in restoring this unique Island building for the public good.
“Second, I deliberately chose to book my surgeries – places and times when Islanders come and talk to me – in small village and town halls, community hubs and libraries across the Island, not only because it is more convenient for Islanders for me to come to them, but because that enables me to spread funds around the Island. In both cases, I have no doubt it is the right thing to do.
“When it comes to staff, I insist on most of my staff being based on the Island because I want to give jobs to Islanders. I support my team in undertaking approved courses because it helps retain my team and it helps ensure that, as a team, we offer a better service to Islanders. These courses are necessary for my team to do their jobs well, especially considering the pressures on them are more than the average constituency.
“We are aware of the need to use taxpayers’ money wisely, and we have taken steps to reduce office costs over the last year, as I will explain below.
“First, this year the travel budget will be much lower. I have travelled less, but my staff have also travelled less. This is largely related to Covid, but not entirely. Some savings may be permanent.
“Second, my constituency surgeries have become phone-based and while I look forward to being able to resume in-person meetings, this has reduced costs. ‘Zoom calls’ have allowed me to speak with more Islanders more often. They will continue to be a feature of life after Covid.
“Third, we have also taken steps to ensure that no postage or stationery costs are incurred without good reason. Almost all responses are now sent by email at near-zero costs to both the taxpayer but also the environment.
“Fourth, I have ensured that we have reduced petty expenses.
“Fifth, I have not, nor will not, personally claim for additional bills for Covid, despite this being on offer.
“Due to the Covid rises, we have hired additional staff to manage the caseload and have paid staff overtime where they were working long hours on the Island’s behalf.
“Overall, due to careful management, 31 per cent of my staffing budget, 40 per cent of my office costs budget and 80 per cent of the additional budget allocated to cover the costs of Covid remain unused.
“If there is a ‘scandal’, it is that the Island is the largest constituency in the UK by many, many thousands and yet we receive no additional support or staff allowance, so we have a larger caseload without the additional support.
“I assure Islanders I would much rather be spending my time dealing with important issues, rather than having to make statements about “expenses” based on misleading headlines.
“These are the facts. I am sure Islanders will make up their own minds.”
those were some expensive sausages!!!!!!!!!
he has to pay someone to cut sausages in half
When my pal wrote to him with a problem. It was examined and replied to by one of his “team” just fuelling the despair I usually attach to the mp`s selfserving announcements of which there are a constant stream.The person who dealt with the complaint was presumably unelected and paid by Mr Gullible , The Taxpayer.
“If there is a ‘scandal’, it is that the Island is the largest constituency in the UK by many, many thousands and yet we receive no additional support or staff allowance, so we have a larger caseload without the additional support.”
Yes, we should get additional support. Perhaps some sort of ‘Island Deal’ to provide extra funding. If there is a scandal perhaps it is that Seeley and Boris promised an Island Deal that they clearly have no intention of delivering on.
“I assure Islanders I would much rather be spending my time dealing with important issues, rather than having to make statements about “expenses” based on misleading headlines.”
Yet you don’t deal with important issues. You ignore them. I’m not sure how a headline can be misleading when it states clearly how much you spent, and that it is around £40,000 more than average. Please explain Bob – how is it misleading to quote figures directly?
“These are the facts. I am sure Islanders will make up their own minds.”
Yes. We will. Based on your twist on the facts, but mostly on what you have promised and failed to deliver.
No name no credibility
How many more have done the same? No wander all our roof taxes have gone up.
Quite frankly does it matter, it’s the same old gravy train rolling on!
Total bs.stardard seely waffle
Certainly living up to his name – Capt Bull S**t, aka Seldom Seen Half a Sausage, doth protest too much.
What about those travel expenses? I am sure they would be a lot less if he actually lived on the island and experienced life here instead of paying flying visits to enjoy a BBQ with his Down From London Friends and other political toadies before leaving local people to sort out problems (Floating Bridge, East Cowes Esplanadea et al) mainly caused by an uncaring Tory IOW Council.
For those who though promised salvation was at hand, it has now been admitted by Council leader Duplicitous Dave that the Island Deal is as dead in the water as Boris’ Premiership. Roll on the election…
Why do people bother posting “roll on the election…” they will all get back in
Yes,although a good fairy may descend from on high and grant the island people a fair voting system allowing most views to be heard by a council made up of proportionally elected councillors.
Bye bye Bob, time for you to go!
So true, the Island cannot afford him.
The Island MP should be a local one
6 staff so they must be paid more than IOW average.how many are family and friends which is usual MP practice.
Deeds not words Bob. Maybe if you made a stand on the major (not minor) housing developments, you wouldn’t have such a high caseload.
My MP, Michael Ellis (Northampton North), and conservative, send constituents an email, every other week informing residents of what he has been doing. At the foot of his email, he always captures his expenditure. This was a fortnight ago:
Amount claimed by Michael Ellis MP for Travel since his Election in 2010: £0
Amount claimed for Food by Michael Ellis MP since his Election in 2010: £0
Staffing budget unspent since his Election in 2010: £284,000
Office budget unspent since his Election in 2010: £160,000
Number of foreign trips taken by Michael Ellis MP at the taxpayers’ expense: 0
As Michael Ellis and Bob Seely are both MPs and doing the same job, how is it that Mr Ellis hasn’t presented expenses at the taxpayer’s cost, whereas, Mr Seely has?
Next, Mr Seely claiming his living expenses while on the Island (why, especially as the Island is his constituency)? Or, maybe, he will claim for a replacement bridge to his duck pond (two Conservative’s has done that), again, at the taxpayer’s cost?
That is approx £4,000 per week, yet alone his ridiculous wages etc
He is not needed, get a local MP and save thousands a year.
Quite reasonable I think. All the experts on here that think Bobs job is so easy, should try doing it .
No wonder are council tax is going up so much
No doubt as thick as thieves with this lot now running the Island, or perhaps a more apt word ‘ruining’ the Island.
Shame we can’t vote him and them out on the same day.
The ruination of this Island from the council with our MP doing nothing to prevent such.
Time to go.
Must be his Boat Fare thats put him over Budget.
They must be very expensive sausages that he is buying .
I do not understand why the pay is so high, someone says for the job he does.. A skilled bricky, chippy, ditch digger..etc., would do a fantastic job if earned MP’s wage, all people have expenses but they are not paid for by anyone but themselves. Why should we pay for his/their holidays, their rent their outings..? People that have a job have to pay their own rent, if they have a company they have t pay for that too… so why not MP’S ?? I cannot understand why anyone should be paid huge amounts, that is just greed, uneeded greed.. why should these people have grand homes… MP’s are just civil servants… they should be paid much lower .. and I agree all those working for the council should live local.. They should make a rule about that. This is the Isle of Wight, not the mainland.. and why should wee have to pay travel expenses to and from Island… that is stupid.
So most of this money went on extra staff ?? so unlike the rest of the country his staff were not furloughed with the government paying 80% of their wages ??
Speaks volumes about a man who votes against free meals for children of less well off parents , and the part he played with Dave Stewart in encouraging people to come to the island instead of discouraging them thus forcing us from tier 1 into tier 4 ,but is quite happy to screw as much as he can out of the tax payer for himself, I hope people will remember to vote accordingly in the local election and the national election.
All those staff expenses and he still can’t manage to reply to constituents’ letters. ‘This is misleading’ – it wasn’t £200,000 you’ve got almost £3,000 change. Thanks for nothing BS. He doesn’t care because he knows he doesn’t have to. He holds his electorate in contempt and takes hundreds of thousands of our money in exchange for not doing his job.