I AM writing about the revelations in the Daily Telegraph that dozens of Members of Parliament, including myself had overclaimed for council tax in their allowances. During the period in question claims for council tax did not have to be supported by receipts up to a certain level. Many MPs claimed for council tax without reference to the bill. Indeed, the House of Commons authorities advised many members to claim up to the maximum on a monthly basis as it was easier for them to administer. Although my claims for council tax have been in excess of the bills, I have not claimed more than the amounts allowed for expenses and I have not broken any rules. The claims were accepted by the House authorities under the system which applied at that time. During the period in question I did not claim for any furniture, household items, carpets, kitchen equipment, bedding, travel to work costs, gardening or decorating, I hope that everyone will bear that in mind. Indeed, the Telegraph stated in an earlier edition that: “Eric Illsley claimed mortgage interest payments of £180 per month. Claimed for food, utilities, council tax and cleaning but made few other claims on his second home in London.” A similar reference was made in the same edition which referred to the council tax issue. The old system for claiming allowances without receipts was discontinued over a year ago. Receipts are now required for council tax payments. The Commons has already announced a move to independent monitoring which will introduce a fair, transparent and reasonable system of allowances. Clearly I should not have allowed my claims to exceed the levels of council tax regardless of the system which applied at the time and I apologise for that mistake. As the leader of the House of Commons has already announced all claims under the old system will be reviewed and it is likely that the majority of MPs will be required to pay back some of their allowances. Many have already done so and without waiting for the review, I repaid the full amount by which it is suggested I have over-claimed. I apologise once again to my constituents who will be saddened and angered that I have been caught up in the expenses’ fiasco and I also apologise to my family and friends. Claims which were once deemed acceptable by the House authorities are no longer allowed and in that light I have apologised and made the repayment. I deeply regret that I have been embroiled in this mess but as I have said, I am one of many who are similarly affected.

I HAVE just seen the ‘expenses’ of our MPs. I have read the online report but I am unable to print it, as do not have enough black toner in my laser printer.  The report is basic, sparse and full of thick black boxes which, according to the government, are to protect the identity of the MPs. Hello, the Barnsley public voted them in and we know who they are and where they live. So many blanked out boxes and the MPs have the cheek to say that everything is ‘transparent and clear’. They have indeed left a black mark, but it is not on the expenses sheet, it is on the confidence of voters!

THERE have been at least two letters in the Chronicle inviting our MPs to volunteer details of their claims for allowances/ expenses through your columns before they were exposed officially or unofficially through various organs of the media. Apart from Michael Clapham, the invitation was declined and now we can hazard a guess as to the reason for their reticence, given the material which has been disinterred, apart from the stuff which has been redacted (another word for concealing a scandal). If these revelations are just the tip of the iceberg, and there are no valid and acceptable reasons – not excuses – for these claims, then it is time for some serious political spring cleaning to be undertaken as quickly as possible. Never mind if it was deemed ‘within the rules’ as written by the Commons. The question should be: “Is it ethical?”

WHY does the council think it is a good idea to increase charges for taxi drivers? Most people have had to tighten their purse strings and I feel for cab drivers who already pay enough to do their job.

Do we want more people heading for the dole queue? Taxi drivers receive their share of bad press but what about the good stuff? When public transport has ceased, who ferries revellers home safely? When trains are delayed, who gets you to appointments? When you’ve shopping you cannot carry to the bus station, who helps you get it home? The taxi driver.

The few nights I go out I’d like to be reassured that the taxi service I rely on to get home is at hand. Bogus taxis prowling our streets as a result of high council charges is a dire thought.

According to your report, Sainsbury’s is objecting to double yellow lines outside its shop. Thousands of retailers over the years have objected to such lines being placed outside their shops, all to no avail. Subsequently their trade has suffered, sometimes causing closure.

Sainsbury’s initial planning was given consent because a car park at the rear was created for the shoppers. So why should there be laybys created at the front close to a busy junction?

I trust that if they are given consent for such a layby to help boost their trade, I as owner of Costcutter store in the same village, will be given one outside my shop to help boost my trade. This scheme should not be given the go ahead just because Sainsbury’s is a giant retailer.

IT speaks volumes about the BNP that so many of its enemies such as me feel obliged to withhold their name and address before they can express their revulsion for the pond-life which comprises this odious party.

Have the idiots who voted for it noticed that the poll coincided with the commemoration of D Day? What an insult to the British, Canadian and American veterans of a world war against fascism who returned to Normandy to pay tribute to old comrades who gave their lives on the beaches and beyond to thwart a fascist dictator? Sixteen per cent of Barnsley voters are a disgrace to their town.

I WAS dismayed to read that the proposed link road from Grange Lane has been given the go-ahead.

I regularly return from Lundwood on Saturdays to my home at Ardsley. Usually there is a queue of traffic approaching Stairfoot roundabout.

Most of this traffic in the left lane proceeds forward to Wombwell Lane or Hunningley Lane or Barnsley Road. Very few like me turn left on to the A635.

Should there not be a proper traffic count, say on two weekends, to determine the volume of traffic which turns left?

Otherwise we shall have an unnecessary and expensive link road. May be in the light of a traffic count the council will reconsider their decision?

IN response to the readers who label voters who voted for BNP ‘idiots’ and ‘a disgrace to the town’, I think they are missing the point. It is a fact that while we are members of the EEC we can do nothing to prevent immigration from other EEC countries.

It is massive uncontrolled immigration, nothing else, which prompted people to vote for the BNP. While I do not agree with the BNP’s extremist stance and would not vote for them, I can understand why some people do.

We live in a democracy and are free to vote for who we wish. I cannot understand why anyone continues to vote for this government given its appalling mismanagement of the country.

They say turkeys don’t vote for Christmas but in Barnsley a red rosette carries more weight than logic and clear understanding of the issues, with certain people.

FOUR minutes to midnight: West Indies v India 20/20 game at its most exciting point. Then the phone rings: a ‘political message’ from the BNP. It was actually two thugs slagging off the mainstream parties but they thought it was a political message: in itself; obnoxious, annoying, threatening but relatively harmless.

In context of the five incidents of damage to my car (acid thrown, screws in tyres) and incidents of damage to my property at home, plus false accusations to police, a trend appears. A frightening trend of threats and intimidation followed up by action because I oppose their shallow divisive politics, the politics of the ballot box and the baseball bat.

This is even more frightening now the ‘suits’ have gained legitimacy through the votes of the disillusioned. Now their thugs are convinced they can act with impunity. How much more frightening is this for the citizens of our former colonies who put their trust in the mother country to look after them after their own governments subjected them to terror?

ONE evening last week, I walked past the redeveloped Mandela gardens and the new civic hall. It was 5.30pm and I counted 56 teenagers on the grass. Many were drinking, swearing, shouting, riding bikes and playing football.

As I walked past, a youth started to urinate not five yards from me. I then heard more swearing, so I looked up and saw three youths on the roof. Not 20 yards away is a CCTV camera, it may as well not be there. On the boundary of the garden was a mother with two children who were pointing at the fountain. They dare not walk down to have a look.

I walked down to the bus station where I was met with another gang of about 20 youths. They were also shouting abuse at each other and swearing. The intimidation was overwhelming to me, never mind an old person that may just want to get on the bus. Has the town centre been given up to youngsters now? Is it a no-go area when school is finished?

I thought council parks were the place to go, not our once-friendly town centre. Come on council, get a grip and sort this mess out please before Barnsley town centre gets a bad name.