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Gerald Howarth, the MP for Aldershot, Farnborough, Yateley and Blackwater, argued that he "saw no reason" why he should have to pay for Sky Sports at his constituency home in Farnborough when he already paid for it at his main home in London
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Howarth: 'Why should I pay for Sky Sports?'

By Jack Sommers and Pete Castle
December 10, 2009

GERALD Howarth, MP for Aldershot, Farnborough and Yateley, tried to claim for a subscription for Sky Sports using his MP’s allowance.

When the parliamentary fees office refused his claim, Mr Howarth wrote back to try and argue his case, saying he saw “absolutely no reason” why he should pay the £25 a month to watch sport at his house.

“I submit that as I already pay for that service at my principal home I see absolutely no reason why I should have to pay twice when I snatch a few moments from constituency engagements to watch rugby or other sports not available on terrestrial TV,” he wrote.

The letter came to light on Thursday as the House of Commons published the latest batch of paperwork relating to MP’s expenses.

The latest claims relate to the year 2008-09 and the first quarter of 2009-10.

Speaking to Get Hampshire, Mr Howarth said that he felt the media scrutiny into individual items he had claimed on expenses was unfair, as he had not claimed his full yearly allowance, while many other MPs, who claimed the full amount, escaped media attention.

He added that he felt the claim for Sky Sports had been justified because the MPs' allowance was "for the costs of running a second home."

He said: "I had already paid for my principal home (in London).

"I like to watch a bit of rugby, if possible. People don’t realise that MPs have a lot of community engagements and very little time to yourself."

Garlic cutters

Meanwhile, James Arbuthnot, MP for North East Hampshire, submitted a claim for three garlic cutters that he bought on TV shopping channel QVC, for a total of £43.56, including postage and packing.

But Mr Arbuthnot, who agreed to pay back some of his allowance claims earlier this year after the expenses scandal broke, made a rapid cutback in his claims this year, making no claims at all for the first quarter of the current financial year.

In a statement, Mr Arbuthnot said: “The stories relating to my 2008-09 expenses cover matters which have been public knowledge for nearly six months. I posted copies of the receipts on my website in July of this year and issued a press release at the same time.

“I asked to be first to take part in David Cameron’s internal review of expenses, and have fully participated in Sir Thomas Legg’s review, agreeing to repay in excess of what was recommended. As I said in July when releasing my 2008-09 expenses, ‘The second homes allowance in the form which these receipts reflect is gone, and we, both the public and politicians, are glad to see the back of it.’ ”

For more on this story, see next week’s News & Mail, out on Friday, December 18.

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An alternate means that would be fair, equitable and above board would be remove entirely the expenses system other than for travel claims (i.e. getting to work). The government ought to provide flats to all out-of-London MPs free of charge with identical TVs, DVDs, Sky or BT Vision / Freeview - bathroom, kitchens, appliances etc a 'Travel Lodge' sort of arrangement with restaurant provided for (possibly) free meals and a bar that charges.... If they stay there then fine, if they don't then they can't claim. Where families stay then accommodation could be provided - a 2 bed flat for example in the MP Hostel. This will fix the cost now and into the future, be easy for the security forces to guard and mean an end to the expense system as we know and hate it... For 635 MPs circa 600 room 'hotel' Simple

MarkofHants, Fleet
9/02/2010 at 14:21

The currrent system is broken. It needs replacement and not patching. I work away from home periodically and claim for legitimate business expenses in accordance with company policy and HMRC rules. At home I may not have wine /beer with dinner when away I do - does that mean I ought not to claimeven though I am permitted so to do? It was the PROCESS that lead to the abuse - For Sky he has a (slight) point - if he has to work away from home for weeks on end and has it at home he ought to have it when away from home and may be a legitimate claim (and seems to have been within the rules) Who, hand on heart, would turn down 'freebies'?

MarkofHants, Fleet
9/02/2010 at 14:15

WHAT A GREEDY MAN, but thats what you get for voting him in

Oldtwit, Fleet
13/01/2010 at 14:55

I'd pay for sky sports if they had a 'pay per view' to watch locals kick Howarths butt all over the county!!!!

werf44
30/12/2009 at 16:19

Totally agree with you! Outermongolian

Aldershot Born
28/12/2009 at 13:53

Shame on you !

Outermongolian
22/12/2009 at 19:30

when you think of all the money it could have gone a long way to paying for student fee's.instead of them being in debt for years to come.they are the future but our leaders dont seem to care about this.just as they dont care about any comments left on this site

bluesy
15/12/2009 at 14:15

Surely its time for these two to step down! If they were man enough they would have already paid back the money and quit, Seems we have a bunch of pansies running our region.

Air Bear, Aldershot
15/12/2009 at 11:03

Lets not forget come polling day.

basher, Deepcut
12/12/2009 at 19:20

It's perhaps not the amount Howarth sought to claim nor what he wanted to buy but rather the lengths he was prepared to go to to justify it. When thousands of folk from around here commute daily to London I would suggest that he could also. And as for saying that he has little free time, well surely he knew what he was letting himself in for when he stood in the first place. It's a bit like joining the Army and then complaining about the noise the guns make.

mistergrumpy, Frimley Green
12/12/2009 at 17:20

"People don’t realise that MPs have a lot of community engagements and very little time to yourself"

What has the amount of free time you have got anything to do with getting free TV? Then again, if you have that little free time then there isn't much justification for paying for hundreds of TV channels you're hardly going to watch is there?

Really, there isn't much left to say about the arrogance that all of those at Westminster have appeared to display since this became public knowledge. Mr. Howarth, please don't try and make out that you're doing your constituents some kind of philanthropic favour; if those community engagements are all too much then please let someone else do the job. There are thousands of us from Aldershot, Farnham, Fleet and Farnborough that commute to London every day to work 50 hour weeks to pay the mortage/bills but don't have the luxury of what amounts to a free house with as many trimmings as you can get away with.

I sincerely hope all of this isn't forgotten about by voters come local and general election time but I won't hold my breath.

Dan B, North Camp
11/12/2009 at 23:19

To follow his rationale we should not have have to pay for the additional boxes in our childrens bedrooms then, since we pay for the main box that is in our living rooms, why are paying for them.

mai
11/12/2009 at 22:30

What do you expect from a man that said I would earn more money in my other a job. Guess what that is? A City Banker, says it all about the man. when our local council has refused TAG an increase in flights out of Farnborough shouldnt one expect our MP to back the wishes of his constituents with some statement or other? OF course you would but not Howarth

mai
11/12/2009 at 22:25

He should quit, if he wants sky sports bloody well pay for it

Pete 600, Aldershot
11/12/2009 at 20:10

Gerald Howarth and James Arbuthnot's comments above confirm just how "removed from the real world" these sort of MPs are. The taxpayer cannot trust this arrogance of power and entitlement that some MPs feel they deserve when thousands are struggling to make ends meet. It is no wonder that people lose faith in all of us, who are local politicians.

Only their resignations and "root and branch" political reform will begin to restore public trust in politicians again. As a school teacher and Lib Dem parliamentary candidate opposing James Arbuthnot at the next General Election, I pledge to do all I can to reform Parliament so that the public can trust their politicians again.