The SNP's candidate for Glasgow Central has urged the constituency's current MP Mohammad Sarwar to make a statement regarding his expenses after it emerged that he was the most expensive MP in the House of Commons last year.
Osama Saeed pointed to inconsistencies in statements that Sarwar has made so far on how he racked up a £192,986.87 bill - more than any of the 645 other MPs. Saeed also wrote last year to Mohammad Sarwar with sixteen questions regarding his expenses which Mr Sarwar refused to answer.
Osama Saeed commented:
“Mr Sarwar should be up front with the electorate about how he can be so expensive with his expenses.
“It is a bad situation made worse by two things. Firstly, he has told a Pakistani newspaper that it is because he runs a "big office" [1]. However, last year he said that he didn't pay any rent on it.
“Secondly, he says he is travelling regularly to and from London. This is the case for all Scottish MPs, and doesn't explain why the member for Glasgow Central should cost more than the MP for the Western Isles. His attendance record at 57% meanwhile is amongst the worst in Parliament. What is all this travel for then?
"Sarwar takes no account of the fact that there are other MPs doing exactly the same - and much more - for less. His explanations so far are an insult to people's intelligence." [2]
[ENDS]
Notes
- His office is by no means larger that that of other MPs, and as with all MPs, his allowances only stretch to so many members of staff.
- This is not the first time that Sarwar has given strange answers to questions about his expenses. After being named Scotland's most expensive MP in 2004 at £157,262, he told The Sun in an article headlined "King of the Bling" that "When you are working hard and writing letters and using stationary this is what happens."
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