"Can I exchange this? This one seems overly expensive and somewhat faulty."

"Can I exchange this?

This one seems overly expensive and somewhat faulty. "

Expenses row: 'Lodger' deal earns Jacqui Smith £100,000 as she claims sister's house is main home

By Simon Walters and Martin Delgado
Last updated at 1:32 AM on 08th February 2009

Good investment: Jacqui Smith has claimed over £116,000 on her 'second home' in Redditch

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has claimed more than £116,000 in Commons expenses for a 'second home' while effectively lodging with her sister.

Ms Smith claims the maximum parliamentary second-home allowance, currently a tax-free £24,006 a year, on the detached house in her West Midlands constituency, where her husband and two young children live and which she bought for £300,000 five years ago.

She is able to do so because she has told the Commons authorities that her 'main home' is a house in London owned solely by her sister, Sara, where she stays on some weekdays.

Nor is this the only large expense caused by the Home Secretary's decision to share her sister's house.

Two policemen provide a round-the-clock guard at the South London property, costing taxpayers an estimated £200,000 a year. The two officers are stationed at the property on a shift basis.

So here we are, in the year 2009, with some of our most vulnerable citizens facing eviction, bank-corrupt-see, mounting debts and worse, whilst these career politicians keep lining their pockets and the pockets of their city friends, (largely by printing more new fiat money) in an 'I'm Al'right Jack' mentality.

Does this seem like value for money?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1138782/Expenses-row-Lodger-deal-earns-Jacqui-Smith-100-000-claims-sisters-house-main-home.html?ITO=1490

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