Sponsored by
Clegg puts 'modest' home on the market
NICK Clegg is putting his Sheffield home on the market - four months after he was criticised about expenses claimed for the "modest" semi.
The deputy prime minister and Lib Dem MP for Hallam has put the house on sale with a Sheffield estate agents. The asking price has not been revealed.
The MP revealed he intended to sell the house just before the General Election when controversy broke about the amount of expenses he had claimed for modernisation and maintenance.
It was revealed Mr Clegg had claimed 84,000 in four years on the home, which he described as a "modest" property that was in a "complete state of disrepair" when he bought it.
He billed the taxpayer for redecoration, gardening and soft furnishings - but said he would repay any profit he makes from its sale.
The revelation led to Mr Clegg being challenged over his dedication to "cleaning up politics" by veteran BBC broadcaster and former newspaper editor Andrew Neil.
In total, Mr Clegg claimed 83,824 between 2005 and 2009, including 1,018 in monthly mortgage interest payments, 9,244 in legal costs and stamp duty, 2,600 on a new kitchen and 5,857 on decorating.
Mr Clegg also bought Ikea cushions, napkins and a cake pan, and spent 850 on curtains and blinds.
He also regularly paid a gardener 160 a month, with his tasks including "pruning of apple and plum trees", and maintenance of the rose garden.
Mr Clegg was later ordered to repay 910 by Sir Thomas Legg for gardening costs. The rest of his claims were judged to have been within the rules.
Mr Clegg told Mr Neil: "As it happens, it was a home - and you are more than welcome to come and visit it, Andrew, if you like - it's a modest semi-detached home.
"It was in a state of complete disrepair, the garden was a complete eyesore, it hadn't been touched for ages. You make it sound like some great palatial residence.
"I need to keep it in basic working order, I needed to make sure that the garden wasn't a complete eyesore and I did that but with money that is made available to me as an MP so that I can live and work in two places. But, crucially, it's not my home, it's yours, it's the taxpayers'."
He added: "Any gain on it when I sell it, which I will do very soon ... after the election... will go straight back to the taxpayer."
Mr Clegg is legally obliged to maintain a home in his constituency and must buy or rent another property in Hallam.
Got a view? Leave a comment below.
Follow The Star on Twitter and Facebook:
For breaking news and sport follow The Star on Twitter at www.twitter.com/sheffieldstar and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sheffieldstar .
JOIN THE STAR READER PANEL: The Star is YOUR newspaper, so tell us what you think about it and what you want to see - CLICK HERE.
Don't miss our daily pull-outs - only in the The Star: Monday Star Sport, Tuesday Class Act; Wednesday Business; Thursday Grassroots; Friday Time Out; Saturday Retro. Subscribe to The Star - CLICK HERE
READ MORE
Join the Star reader panel
Main news index
Your letters
Features
South Yorkshire's environmental news
Kids Zone
More business news
More Rotherham news
More Doncaster news
More Barnsley news
Latest sport
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: East
