Tory MP submits expenses receipt for three action movies (From Echo)

Tory MP submits expenses receipt for three action movies

5:38pm Monday 22nd June 2009

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EX-FORCES MP John Baron’s office expenses claim included a receipt for three action movies.

The DVDs, bought as a three-for-two deal at WH Smith, were Robert DeNiro movie Men of Honour, thriller Man on Fire, starring Denzel Washington, and Walking Tall, featuring ex-wrestler the Rock.

All three have military references, but it is not clear from the information released by Parliament how much of the £19 cost of the films Billericay MP Mr Baron, a former Army captain, was paid, due to censored and missing information.

His expenses claims over the past four years also included five digital cameras, totalling £569.

These included, in 2007/08, three Samsung S730 cameras bought for £239 by an undisclosed member of staff who collected 700 Tesco Clubcard points on their personal account because of a triple points promotion.

Among the other claims were a tube of salt and vinegar Pringles, at £1, a pilot’s travel bag (£49), a roller holdall (£19), black leather briefcase (£39), 67 magazine racks and the 2007 edition of Who’s Who, at £99.

He also claimed more than £34,500 on self-promotion, which covered the printing of thousands of leaflets and MP newspapers, plus the running of his website.

It included £2,250 for media advice from Chris Furey Associates, and £841 in cancellation fees to Royal Mail, presumably to stop sending leaflets which had been set to go out.

On top of this, he paid £1,175 to solicitors Farrer and Co for advice on media matters in February 2008, and £969 to the firm in June 2004 for advice on an issue which has been blacked out.

He also claimed for freelance photography and original prints of himself, taken by local newspaper photographers.

Mr Baron hires staff in his London office, but also spent £13,721 subscribing to the Parliamentary Research Unit, a non-profit organisation employing specialist graduate researchers for use by MPs.

He claimed more than £3,500 for staff travel over the four years, which included taxi fares for Billericay constituency staff.

Mr Baron, whose Noak Bridge home and constituency office has been hit by trespassers and vandals, spent £1,653 on a Redcare burglar alarm system, which is permanently monitored.

He paid £58 to computer consultancy firm Hillier Consultants, run by Basildon Tory councillors Stephen and Sandra Hillier in 2005, but opted for other firms for similar services in later years.

A large amount of his incidental expenses claim, which has been up to £19,422, went on standard office supplies and equipment ordered through Viking Direct.

This included at least 23 non-business freebies, such as mugs, a backpack, radios, sandwich maker, biscuits, chocolates, Easter eggs, DVD players, a Benetton travel bag, an electronic game, cooler bag, a car sun shield, what appears to be copies of the films, the Devil Wears Prada and Redemption, and what was described as a “Flyer Egg Credit Card”.

The Tory MP made no claims for petty cash or mobile phone bills.

Mr Baron was still refusing to comment on his expenses claims as the Echo went to press.

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