David Cameron the benefit scrounger?

As Hopi Sen points out, it is rather ironic that David Cameron is so angry about housing claims of over £20,000 a year when his second home expense claims have often been above this amount.

David Cameron's second home expenses:

2003-04: £20,328,

2004-05: £20,902;

2005-06: £21,293.86;

2006-07: £20,563.

As reported in the Daily Telegraph:

Of course, public money shouldn't be used to ensure people have more comfortable lifestyles than others.

Mr Cameron's claim of £680 for repairs to his cottage, including clearing wisteria and vines from a chimney, replacing outside lights and resealing his conservatory roof, does rather deviate from this rule.

Happily, he has now paid this money back, although I doubt someone claiming too much Job Seekers Allowance or Housing Benefit would be able to get away with just paying the money back.

Iain Duncan Smith, by contrast, claimed the following second home expenses:

2004-05: £855

2005-06: £1,528

2006-07: £566

2007-08: £0.

These seem reasonable, but unlike most people in receipt of public money he has a salary of £64,746.