MPs' expenses: Wirral MP Ben Chapman’s fate hangs in balance

May 19 2009 Liverpool Daily Post

Views split as the voters make their judgment

VOTERS in New Ferry, where Ben Chapman has his constituency office, said they were concerned about the revelations.

Many told the Daily Post the Wirral South MP should pay back the £15,000 he is said to have claimed for loan interest he was no longer paying, while others said they were concerned the row would overshadow Mr Chapman’s work locally – in particular the campaign to save Wirral libraries threatened with closure.

Kenny Gaynor, 52, said: “He should pay the money back and hold up his hands and say sorry.

“He’s a good MP and he made a mistake but we all make mistakes. He needs to admit that he was in the wrong.”

Elizabeth Crebbin, of Port Sunlight, said: “I think everyone is fed up of hearing about MPs and their expenses.

“I was surprised to hear Ben Chapman’s name because he’s just a little fish in a big pond.”

Christopher Power and wife Pauline, of Port Sunlight, said the expenses system was to blame, and not Mr Chapman.

Mrs Power said: “In our experience, Mr Chapman is a very good MP and this has happened because of a very poor system that needs to be changed.

“I’m disappointed with him but we need to look at the people who allowed this money to be claimed.”

Others were less forgiving and said they were angry Mr Chapman had apparently claimed the taxpayer-funded allowances when they were struggling to live on low wages and pensions.

John Caldecott, 65, a retired Levers worker from Bebington, said: “I think it’s a disgrace when people are living on less money than that a year and people like me are getting pensions of £9,000 a year.

“I think all the MPs should be prosecuted in the same way I would be if I was claiming benefits I wasn’t entitled to.”

Kelly Littler, 32, from New Ferry, said: “It’s a lot of money – we have to pay for everything ourselves, so why shouldn’t they?”

Susan Dale, 48, also of New Ferry, called for Mr Chapman to stand down at the next election.

She said: “I won’t be voting for anyone now.

“I think he should go – or they should sack him.

“He shouldn’t have done it in the first place.

“We’d have to pay the money back and so should Mr Chapman.”