Rents to landlords among payments highlighted in MPs expenses controversy

The investigation into MPs expenses has drawn attention to some payments claimed for renting second homes from residential landlords.

Newspapers highlighted one example in which Sinn Fein chiefs Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness and the party’s three other MPs claimed £310,000 to rent second homes despite never taking their seats.

Taxpayers’ money was used to rent three London properties which are all owned by the same London-based Irish landlord.

Adams, the party leader, and McGuinness, Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister, jointly claimed expenses of £3,600 a month to rent a two-bedroom flat in North London.

Michelle Gildernew, Conor Murphy and Pat Doherty, the three other MPs named in the article, also claimed £5,400 a month to rent a shared town house in the area and the expenses figures obtained show they rented a third property in the area. The Daily Mail stated that the levels of rent paid were well above the market norm for the area.

The five MPs have all denied acting improperly. They said the money had been ‘legitimately claimed’ and that they use the rented properties when they travel to London for work.