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Vandals destroy MP's furniture
Vandals have broken into the home of Mid Beds MP Nadine Dorries and destroyed her patio furniture.
On the same day that parliament published edited details of all MPs expenses claims, Ms Dorries says intruders entered the garden of her constituency home and smashed a table and chair set before leaving a post on her website which said: "Nice patio Nadine, or was."
She said: "On Wednesday night I arrived back in the constituency to find the furniture on my patio broken to bits.
"I have never claimed for furniture, or gardening, or petty cash, or anything other than expenses incurred as part of my role as an MP.
"In fact, to date, I have spent almost 2,000 of my own money this year entertaining constituents in the House of Commons. As a single mum with a number of dependents and responsibilities, that is money I have struggled to afford."
She added: "I didn't claim for my patio furniture either. It was a present from my mum."
Parliament published details of MPs' expenses on Wednesday, June 17, but immediately came under fire for blacking out large sections of the claim forms.
Ms Dorries said the only information that was blacked out on her claim forms for the years 2006-7 and 2007-8, were her bank details, credit card numbers, telephone numbers and addresses.
She added: "I have requested my un-redacted expenses from the fees office and will make them available to my local press to do with as they wish when they get to me."
Alistair Burt, MP for North-East Beds, supported the editing of allowances because he feared intruders could target MPs houses, but believes in retrospect Parliament went too far.
He said: "I supported the editing of allowances because I did feel there was a danger of a security risk if addresses were made available, especially in London. I think I would now favour an amended edit.
"The amount of editing has been too great, when they publish next year's I'm in favour of a much lighter edit in order to reassure the public that we are not trying to hide anything."
Mr Burt is now calling on Parliament to publish MPs' allowances with only bank details and the first line of addresses edited out.
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Monday 28 May 2012
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