Caught out (again): MP claims parking fine on expenses

Exclusive: Labour shadow minister Abena Oppong-Asare becomes fifth MP to be exposed by The Independent over driving fines claims

Oppong-Asare’s expenses included a fine incurred by a staff member while parked outside a constituency surgery (Getty)

A member of Sir Keir Starmer’s top team billed taxpayers for a £55 parking ticket, leading the expenses watchdog to tighten its rules and write to MPs, The Independent can reveal.

Shadow treasury minister Abena Oppong-Asare’s expenses included the fine after a staff member received a ticket while parked outside a constituency surgery in her Erith and Thamesmead seat.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) launched a review of past claims and “changed its processes” after The Independent revealed the charge.

Senior Conservative MPs said it was “unbelievable” and called on Sir Keir to “show leadership” and sack Ms Oppong-Asare.

Oppong-Asare says a member of staff submitted the claim without her knowledge (Getty)

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith told The Independent the “ridiculous” claim showed a “misplaced sense of entitlement”.

And the expenses watchdog said: “MPs and their staff are not allowed to claim for penalty charges and fines under IPSA rules.”

It said the rule was “clearly stated” in its code of conduct for MPs and it has “changed our process to ensure any future such claims are not paid”.

Labour claimed it was an “administrative error” by a staff member, not Ms Oppong-Asare.

The revelation comes just two months after The Independent revealed a Tory minister and two MPs had wrongly claimed hundreds of pounds in driving fines on expenses.

An earlier investigation by The Independent found IPSA had approved penalty charges from senior Tories Amanda Solloway, Bim Afolami and Simon Hoare, as well as SNP MP Dave Doogan.

Sir Alistair Graham, the former chairman of the committee on standards in public life, told The Independent Ms Oppong-Asare’s behaviour was “sloppy” and she should be “taking better care with public finances”.

Commenting on the fact Ms Oppong-Asare only paid the fine back after being contacted by this paper, Sir Alistair said: “We should not have to rely on The Independent to protect the public finances.”

Senior Tories called on Sir Keir to sack Abena Oppong-Asare over the claim (PA Wire)

And he called on IPSA to “take more care” processing claims from MPs, adding that “as always the devil is in the detail”.

After The Independent’s original report, IPSA wrote to MPs to remind them of the rules.

Labour frontbencher Thangam Debbonaire condemned the MPs, saying that “Tory MPs flouting the rules damages public confidence in the system”. A Labour spokesperson would not comment on whether Ms Debbonaire’s comments applied to Ms Oppong-Asare.

IPSA has now promised a fresh crackdown. “MPs and their staff are not allowed to claim for penalty charges and fines under IPSA rules. Paragraph 3.26 of the Scheme of MPs’ Staffing and Business Costs clearly states that these fines are not claimable,” an IPSA spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added: “IPSA’s checks failed in this case to identify that the claim was not allowed. It has now been repaid. We have changed our process to ensure any future such claims are not paid.”

It has written to MPs, launched a review of past claims and implemented a new process to check future claims.

Ms Oppong-Asare’s parking ticket claim in March was submitted as a “staff travel” expense.

She told The Independent a member of staff submitted the claim without her knowledge, having received the ticket while dealing with a “distressed constituent” at a surgery causing it to overrun. A Labour source stressed the parking ticket was received and claimed back by a member of staff, not Ms Oppong-Asare.

But it called into question how out of touch the shadow minister must be not to be aware of her own expenses.

She confirmed she had paid the claim back to IPSA after being contacted by The Independent.

The £55 penalty is a discounted band B charge in Bexleyheath, southeast London, having been paid within a reduced payment period.

The claim comes as taxpayers grapple with the spiralling cost of living and Ms Oppong-Asare’s constituents brace for the impact of London mayor Sadiq Khan’s Ulez expansion.

Senior Tory MP Henry Smith told The Independent it was “clear” a parking ticket does not count as a legitimate business expense.

He said: “Clearly a parking penalty notice is not a legitimate business expense by anyone’s standard and especially not a shadow frontbench spokesperson.

“It seems like more Labour double standards; their attitude of impunity is appalling, Starmer should show leadership and sack the individual concerned.”

Sir Iain described the expenses claim as “ridiculous” and called for Ms Oppong-Asare to be sacked. “If Starmer doesn’t get rid of her, then taxpayers beware,” he said.

He added: “What a ridiculous claim. Why was she allowed to claim it? It shows that they have a misplaced sense of entitlement.

“If you make such a claim on hardworking taxpayers, it tells you all you need to know about they way they will govern.”