Virendra Sharma MP

My Expenses

An Open Letter to Constituents

Dear Constituent,

MPs’ expenses

Given the current concern about MPs’ expenses I wanted to let you know what my position was on the matter.

Firstly let me say that in all my 27 years of political service to the local community as a Councillor and as a Member of Parliament I have never been motivated or interested in making money. My only motivation has been to serve local people to the best of my ability and be your voice and elected representative.

I can also state that since being elected as your Member of Parliament I have only claimed those expenses that assist me to provide the best possible service, through my office, to you as my constituents and those that genuinely enable me to do my job as a Parliamentarian. I have not made any claims for personal use.

I have never claimed the second home allowance, even though I was entitled too, as I felt it was completely unnecessary to have a second home given my ability to commute easily into Westminster every day from my home in Southall.

The House of Commons will shortly publish all MPs’ expenses for the year 2008/9 and when they do so I will make them available here on my website. MPs’ expenses for the year 2007/8 are already a matter of public record and I have presented them below for your information.

I am saddened by those MPs who have abused tax payers’ money by making false claims and I fully support the Prime Minister’s calls for those who have done so to be brought to account. I have previously called for the whole MPs’ expenses system to be reformed and brought under independent control and scrutiny, and I hope that this can now be done as speedily as possible with all party agreement and under the leadership of a new Speaker of the House of Commons.

Ealing Southall is a wonderfully diverse constituency that I am proud and honoured to represent and work hard on behalf of, and I will continue to give my all for local people as I always have done for the past 27 years.

If you need my help on any issue please contact me through my office.

Best wishes.

Yours sincerely,

Virendra Sharma

Labour MP for Ealing Southall

In the Media

Virendra Sharma’s MPs’ expenses – 19^th July 2007 to 31^st March 2008

My most recent published expenses information

Expenses 2007/8

Parliament's explanatory notes.

^*Regular journeys between home/constituency/Westminster: Mileage £1,156 (505th). Rail £63 (565th). Other: European £1,402 (29th).

It should be noted that this is not a full financial year as Virendra Sharma was elected in a Parliamentary by-election on 19^th July 2007 and so the ranking figures will not represent a true comparison with most other MPs who served a full year. These figures are presented courtesy of www.theyworkforyou.com where all MP’s expenses can be viewed.  

Individual Claims

Here is a full record of individual expenses claims as published by the House of Commons (in PDF format).

Communications Allowance (2007/08)

Incidental Expenses Provision/Staff Allowance (2007/8)