Brent North MP Barry Gardiner has been named and shamed after details about MP expenses debts were released on Thursday (September 10).
The MPs Annual Business Costs and Expenses, published by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), revealed that the Labour MP had expenses worth £77.30 written off.
The Commons expenses watchdog 'named and shamed' 26 MPs whose debts were written off, totalling £2,105.43.
IPSA insisted that they contacted the individuals mentioned asking for the money several times.
Barry Gardiner, who had his debt written off, has stated however that this amount has been listed in error.
The Brent North MP has written a letter to the chief executive of IPSA asking for “a correction and apology in respect of the item erroneously shown”.
The letter claims that the charge of £77.30 was incorrectly allocated, having previously written three letters prior to the publication of the business costs and expenses.
The letter reads: “We received notice of an outstanding Payment Card Reconciliation in March 2014 in relation to an expense incurred on my IPSA payment card for £77.30 from Hillgate Travel Ltd, the Parliamentary Travel Office, on February 4 2014.
“Given that I rarely use my IPSA payment card, my office became concerned about the amount as we had no record of any such payment other than a charge showing on my statement. In this respect, my office contacted Hillgate Travel Ltd who immediately investigated.”
The MP claims that the company advised that they had mistakenly charged his account, when assisting with another MP with travel arrangements.
“As you would expect, I was outraged that the Travel Office had been able to charge my account without authorisation," he said.
Barry Gardiner reportedly contacted IPSA multiple times after this, but states that “IPSA has failed to take the appropriate action”.
“I am appalled that you have decided to publicly publish the amount as an irrecoverable debt under my name and have, consequently, tarnished my reputation when it is clear that the debt is irrecoverable due to gross incompetence on IPSA's part,” Mr Gardiner writes.
“Furthermore, I am outraged that you have suggested that I have selected 'not claimed - to repay' which I clearly have not done. I am deeply concerned that this would suggest that your records have been falsified.
“This has, in my view, reflected a very disturbing trend in terms of my ongoing dealings with IPSA and I would ask that you meet with me on an urgent basis to discuss this matter.
“I would also ask that you issue a public apology immediately in this respect and ensure that my name is removed from this list forthwith.”
An IPSA spokesman told getwestlondon : “All MPs were provided with information regarding the data in preparation for today's publication where appropriate outstanding debts are listed.
“The MPs listed were all contacted on multiple occasions.”
