Outrage over Coventry MP claiming her Council Tax for her constituency home on expenses

Gives taxpayers a further burden

Coventry’s Labour MP Taiwo Owatemi claimed more than £3000 of council tax on expenses on her Coventry home. MPs who represent constituencies outside of London and have to have a second place of residence in London often claim their council tax on their London residence on expenses because it is classed as a work expense. What is shocking about Taiwo Owatemi is that she claimed her constituency home meaning that taxpayers were shelling out for her basic household bills.

      Image Credit: Members.parliament.uk

What makes this ironic is Taiwo Owatemi is to the left of the Labour party, seen as part of the Corbyn wing, is avoiding paying her taxes which is something she often attacks the wealthy over. MPs receive a wage of over £80,000 a year and if MPs like Taiwo Owatemi are claiming household bills like council tax on expenses then it creates a further burden on taxpayers.

Labour have attacked tax avoidance on many occasions but have not taken any action when their own shadow cabinet minister not only does not pay her fair share but gives the burden to taxpayers.

One resident said, “it’s a slap in the face that we are struggling with bills and our MP puts hers on expenses.”

Taiwo Owatemi has said that she has stopped doing and said she is now willing to pay her fair share, but residents of Coventry are sceptical that this is only due to her being caught out not because of a moral epiphany.

Taiwo Owatemi was considered parachuted in by the Corbyn camp in the 2019 election to Coventry North and this raises questions of her commitment to Coventry. If she is claiming the council tax back on her Coventry residence she clearly does not feel as if Coventry is her home.

In a public statement Cllr Gary Ridley, the leader of the Conservative group on Coventry Council, said:

"As a city, we’ve always been really good at producing strong local candidates to be MPs. So it was really disappointing when Jeremy Corbyn parachuted his people in to replace two long-standing MPs in 2019. Sadly, this disclosure provides more evidence that Taiwo Owatemi MP never really viewed Coventry as her home - more of a means to an end that gives her a seat at the table. It's good news that she appears to have stopped claiming this back. However, I'm sure many people will be dismayed that she was doing it at all."

By Jack Dixon