TONY Baldry has apologised “unreservedly” for errors that meant he claimed more than £12,000 in mortgage interest payments as part of his Parliamentary expenses.
The Conservative MP for Banbury was overpaid by a total of £12,197.36 in the financial years 2004/05, 2005/06, 2007/08 and 2008/09.
He has since repaid the amount in full.
Last night, a detailed list of the expenses that Oxfordshire MPs incorrectly claimed and were told to pay back was made public.
However, none of the county’s six MPs has any outstanding balance to settle.
Mr Baldry said: “I claimed what I thought was the correct amount of mortgage interest. I was unaware of any errors until they were pointed out by the Legg Review.
“The bulk of the over-statement of mortgage interest relates to the two years ending 2005 and 2006.
“It was clearly my responsibility to get the figures correct and I apologise unreservedly for the errors made.
“I made it clear last April that I would not, from then on, claim any expenses in relation to my second home and this remains my position”.
Yesterday, Sir Thomas Legg published his long-awaited report into MPs expenses and recommended that 390 MPs repay a total of £1.3 million.
Of that total, almost £800,000 has been repaid since April last year.
Witney MP and Conservative Party leader David Cameron was overpaid by £237.07 for mortgage interest in April to November 2006.
He has since paid back £965.45.
Ed Vaizey, the Conservative MP for Wantage, was paid £790 for a dining table in March 2007, exceeding the £660 guideline. He was overpaid by £197.42 for mortgage interest in 2008/09 and overpaid by £136 for council tax in 2008/09.
He was told to pay back £463.42, but has voluntarily paid back £2,449.45 Evan Harris, the Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, John Howell, the Conservative MP for Henley, and Andrew Smith, the MP for Oxford East, have no issues to settle, Sir Thomas said.
Mr Vaizey said: “I fully accept what Sir Thomas Legg has asked me to pay back. I have voluntarily repaid for more than he asked and I now put my expenses online as and when I claim them.”
London Mayor Boris Johnson, the former Henley MP, was overpaid by £1,260 for council tax in 2004/05.
He has repaid the amount in full.
Dr Harris said: “The conduct of some MPs has been appalling, not just in respect of the content of this report but things not in the report – specifically the flipping of second homes and capital gains tax avoidance.
“Even though I am personally in the clear I recognise that we still have to reform the way expenses work and the way the House of Commons works.
Mr Cameron said: “I hope this is the beginning of the end of this whole dreadful chapter.
“What is absolutely essential is that MPs pay back all of this money that’s been identified.”
Mr Smith said: “Everybody is disgusted where MPs have made unjustified or dishonest claims.”
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