Lib Dems Act to Restrict Travel Expense Claims

7.19.00pm GMT Thu 25th Feb 2010

Keith House, Hampshire County Councillor & Leader of Eastleigh Borough Council

Hampshire Liberal Democrats seem to have successfully shamed most of the Conservative County Councillors into accepting a more reasonable 40p per mile rate when claiming for travelling expenses.

The issue was debated at the full meeting of Hampshire County Council last week. Cllr Keith House, Leader of the Liberal Democrat group stood up and announced that all of the Liberal Democrat members had already decided to only claim a 40p per mile rate and did not wish to profit from making expense claims.

The Liberal Democrats proposed that all council members should be subject to the revised 40p per mile rate. However, Conservative members, one of whom drives a gold coloured X-type Jaguar, voted to continue with a higher 53p per mile rate.

It seems the Conservatives enjoyed a hollow victory because the public anger that followed has forced some Conservative members to announce that they too will only claim the 40p rate.

A delighted Councillor Keith House says "I don't think there was any proper justification for paying the higher rate. It is fair that council members should have travelling costs reimbursed but they should not be making a profit at the expense of the taxpayer".