Again via Agent Orange, who seems to be taking as minute an interest in expenses as we at Sunlight do, comments by Nick Harvey MP today appear to suggest that most MPs had a common sense understanding of what their "main home" and "second home" should be – and that this understanding differs significantly from Jacqui Smith’s understanding. Through the FT blog:

Harvey points out that [for MPs to claim £9,125 subsistence pay a year without receipts] this would mean claiming for all 365 days of the year. By definition, however, MPs can only classify a building as their main residence if they spend more than half of their time there.

This, of course, fits with the Green Book guidelines. It’s unclear if it fits with Jacqui Smiths’ movements and her second home designation.

Published on July 29th, 2009 by Mike Rouse