Blair spent £6,500 on new kitchen as troops went to war
As British troops marched to war in Iraq in March 2003 Tony Blair was buying a £6,500 kitchen with taxpayers’ money.
The revelation comes from a list of MPs’ expenses released minutes ago by the government following a prolonged three-year legal battle to keep it secret.
Gordon Brown spent £4,471 on “refurbishments” while Peter Mandelson spent £3,000 replastering his second home.
David Cameron spent £21,359 on rent between April 2005 and March 2006.
MPs’ attempts to keep their expenses private finally collapsed last week, when the high court ordered for the information to be released by 16:00 BST this afternoon.
The information includes any additional costs allowance the MPs claimed towards their second homes.
The Commons gave up the fight on Monday after last week’s high court tribunal ruling went against them.
MPs had argued the inclusion of their home address constituted a security threat, and where there is concern for individual security the addresses have not been published.
The list of 14 MPs includes Tony Blair, former prime minister, David Cameron, the Tory leader, and Sir Menzies Campbell, former Liberal Democrat leader.
Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “It’s clear that this allowance pays for much more than just a base in London – MPs use it to fund a lifestyle far more comfortable than their constituents enjoy.
“Taxpayers should not be made to pay for Gordon Brown’s Sky TV subscription or Tony Blair’s kitchen.”
