Tory MP who earns £106k a 12 months says he’s fearful about going into his overdraft each month

A Conservative minister who earns £106,000 a 12 months on prime of different perks has claimed he’s fearful about going into his overdraft each month.

James Heappey, who additionally claimed lodging bills value £24,700 and £3,900 on journey in 2020-21, recommended he was near working out of cash every payday.

“My funds are fairly uncomplicated, and like a number of individuals by concerning the twentieth of the month I am fairly fearful about my overdraft reasonably than any superb tax invoice,” he instructed LBC radio on Tuesday morning.

Mr Heappey, who’s a minister on the Ministry of Defence, didn’t elaborate on what he spends the beneficiant sums on – however resisted requires MPs to must make their tax returns public.

“My tax return is a clean piece of paper successfully all the pieces I get, I pay on PAYE,” he stated. Individuals who earn over £100,000 in annual earnings should file tax returns even when they’re taxed by way of PAYE.

Me Heappey added: “So it may very well be very easy for me to say yeah, publish it, however I simply suppose there is a level of precept that really there are mechanisms by way of the parliamentary register of pursuits and for the ministerial register of pursuits for us to be very clear about the place there are conflicts. And I really suppose it is fairly vital that individuals in public life are allowed some privateness.”

The MPs’ register of pursuits additionally reveals that on prime his his wage, the Somerset MP will get a free honorary golf membership membership value £1,050 a 12 months at Burnham & Berrow Golf Membership in his constituency.

MPs’ salaries are set by IPSA, the parliamentary bills watchdog, and in April went up from £81,932 to £84,144 – an annual 2.6 per cent money enhance. Along with this, as a junior minister Mr Heappey is paid an additional £22,475 on prime of his MPs’ wage.

The decision for MPs’ taxes to turn out to be extra clear comes after a sequence of revelations concerning the family funds of chancellor Rishi Sunak.

The Impartial revealed final week that Mr Sunak’s spouse Akshata Murthy has been dwelling as a tax non-dom in Downing Road, and that the Chancellor can also be listed as a beneficiary on a monetary belief positioned in a infamous tax haven.

It additionally emerged that Mr Sunak and Ms Murthy held US inexperienced playing cards for greater than a 12 months into his chancellorship – a standing which required them to make a authorized dedication that the US is their everlasting dwelling.