Wilshire defiant over decorations expenses

Jun 9 2009 By Adam Courtney

David Wilshire MP

Spelthorne MP David Wilshire says he will not repay his decorations expenses or hold a public meeting - but he will meet residents individually to explain himself.

As fury continues to rise over his claims – which included £6,000 for decoration work he didn't carry out in his London flat and travel claims from his Somerset home– Mr Wilshire has insisted he WILL redecorate the flat and has offered to meet any constituent who wants explanation on any aspect of his expenses to contact his office, although he is refusing to make a mass address.

He denied this was because he was scared of a stormy reaction, saying: "There's no trepidation, I just happen to think this is the most most polite and helpful way of doing things.

"I want to do this properly and I owe it to them to meet them individually. I started on Friday and met one person and it was a very useful opportunity to listen to the concerns and explain. It was an amicable meeting and I think it's far better to do it this way."

Mr Wilshire says he will make use of the decoration claims – paid in instalments over a 42-month period from 2003 – whether or not he sells the flat, which he says is a possibility after last month's vote to scrap second-home mortgage allowances for MPs living within a 20-mile radius of London.

And he refuted allegations he mislead constituents after telling the Herald & News a fortnight ago he had furnished the £295,000 flat out of his own pocket.

He said: "That is true. When I moved in, I did completely furnish the flat from my own pocket. The subsequent claims were for the ongoing maintenance of the property, which I maintain I was about to carry out.

"The advice given to me (by the Parliamentary Fees Office) was that I could claim in the future for maintenance after I said I did not want to claim for the initial cost (of furnishing).

"I can see why it is confusing for people who do not have the whole information put in front of them and if I had not accepted the advice I was given, we would not be having this conversation now."

He added: "Of course I will be using the money and, if I do sell, it is going to cost me an awful lot more than £6,000 to get it up to standard."

Mr Wilshire would not say whether he would contribute money from any sale to the public purse. He said: "I would consider it, but it depends if I were to make a profit which, at the moment, would not be the case."

Mr Wilshire again insisted he has not profited from any of the claims, adding: "Over the four-year period from 2003, I claimed the maximum mortgage interest allowance, which did not fully cover the payments, so I contributed the balance which worked out at six months and £7,000 from my own pocket."