SF to return excess rent allowance to British Exchequer

Sinn Féin is returning a £3,000 (€3,211.77) overpayment of rent on a London property used by the North's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness following the investigation into MPs’ expenses by Thomas Legg, the party said today.

It said Legg had identified “an error made by the House of Commons fees office in relation to the overpayment of two months’ rent for Martin McGuinness’s rental property in London in 2006”.

It said there had been no request for any of the other four Sinn Féin MPs to pay back any monies.

The fees office had lost a claim for rent and asked for a duplicate to be faxed to it in August 2006, said Sinn Féin. The duplicate was sent and the bill was paid on September 1 and again on October 4.

The party said: “This error was not picked up on at the time either by the Commons fees office or by Sinn Féin. Having had this matter brought to our attention we have immediately taken steps to refund this overpayment.”

All expenses claims for Sinn Féin MPs are prepared by the party finance department and at no time was any money paid directly to Mr McGuinness, it said.

The electorate had the right to expect the highest standards from those holding public office and to be confident taxpayers’ money was being used properly, said a party statement.

“There is deep public anger over the abuse of allowances by MPs at Westminster. There is anger at the systematic ripping off of taxpayers’ money from those elected to high office and anger at the complete lack of transparency and accountability.”

It said those who voted for Sinn Féin expected the highest standards from their public representatives and they would continue to act in an open and transparent manner.

It added: “And we will do all we can to end the corrupt political culture which operates on both parts of this island.”

Last night Sinn Fein’s partners in government at Stormont, the Democratic Unionist Party, said seven of their nine MPs had been asked to pay back just over £14,000 (€14,988.67) in total in relation to expenses.