Even in UK, Pakistan-born MP shows his talent

LONDON: Britain’s first Pakistan-born Muslim Member of Parliament Mohammad Sarwar on Thursday defended himself being the single biggest parliament spender by claiming £192,986.87.

Figures showed MPs claimed £95,576,589.18 between them in expenses for 2008-09 and widely-respected MP Sarwar emerged as the biggest of all the spenders from all political parties. Mohammed Sarwar, the Labour member for Glasgow Central, who is standing down at the election but supporting his son’s bid to become the next Labour MP from his seat, claimed £192,986.87 which is well above the £174,882 he submitted for the previous financial year, when he was the fifth highest spending MP.

Sarwar, who is also Scottish affairs committee chairman, told The News there was no suggestion that he had claimed anything unfairly and he justified his spending. He said his costs were higher because of travel expenses from London to Scotland, his prime location constituency office, and staff’s pays.

Sarwar is a multi-millionaire and owns cash-and-carry businesses. The Faisalabad MP’s wealth is estimated at £16 million from his family business. The TaxPayers’ Alliance called on the MP to reimburse taxpayers with his retirement lump sum ‘if he had any decency’ but the MP hit back and said his circumstances should be taken into consideration and maintained he had done nothing wrong. “I have a huge office manned by four staff. I have to travel a lot, to and from London. I run one of the busiest surgeries and my local community knows I have always been there to help them and look after their needs.

“I could not have served the community without maintaining a big office.” He said he, unlike many other MPs, had not paid a single penny from the claimed money to his family members or pocked it himself.