I am aware of reports in the national media, and by professional commentators, making misleading claims that MPs are being paid an extra £10,000 for working from home during the Coronavirus outbreak.
This is completely false.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority have granted a £10,000 office expenses extension for dealing with the work generated from the COVID 19 to Members of Parliament.
MPs are having unprecedented amounts of casework due to the crisis with offices under huge pressure, compounded by office workers working from home not in their office. Casework includes: trying to save businesses from closure, bringing people home from abroad, raising concerns about health provision, building volunteer networks, and of course informing and scrutinising government policy and action.
MPs can access a contingency budget to allow us and our staff to be able to work from home, essentially for things like laptops or printers which would be expected to be used in the office environment once this outbreak has ended.
The suggestion that MPs are financially benefitting from the outbreak is rubbish, and frankly anyone making it is guilty of irresponsible journalism.
Any use of contingency budget is published for public scrutiny. I have not and indeed cannot benefit personally from this fund.
I will robustly defend the right to be a good employer and provide my team with all the equipment necessary to deliver the best possible service for the residents of Bosworth.
Since lockdown commenced my team have been working far in excess of the hours their contracts expect of them and dealing with hundreds and hundreds of distressed constituents, to them working for me and in parliament is a vocation.
As ever, all expenses are fully recorded, processed and transparent in accordance with IPSA guidelines.
I very much hope that media outlets consider seriously the purpose of a contingency budget and not resort to scurrilous reporting aimed at nothing else other than causing division.
Comment from IPSA - 13:49 on 9 April 2020
Since posting this statement IPSA (the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority) have made the following comment:
