WE are happy to give Anthony Stansfeld, the new Police and Crime Commissioner, a platform today to explain to taxpayers his expense claims, criticised over his decision to nominate an office in Hungerford near his home as his main place of work.
Mr Stansfeld lives in West Berkshire and opened the office at Hungerford police station and nominated his previous base at the force’s HQ in Kidlington as a secondary place of work.
That meant his claims of £23.20 and £7.20 in mileage for December and January rose to more than £1,050 for February and March combined. He has also hired an officer whose part-time duties include driving him around.
He says these decisions were entirely legitimate and not an attempt to ‘milk’ the expenses system.
Yet he needs to realise that, however bona fide, there was a danger of how this appears to the taxpayer – especially following the MPs’ expenses scandal.
He should be able to claim back money spent in the execution of public service, but also be aware how those claims may look and ultimately damage confidence in this new and important public role. That is worth far more than 45p a mile.