Five Notts MPs received thousands of pounds when they left Parliament last year

FIVE former Notts MPs took "golden goodbye" payments totalling more than �300,000 when they left Parliament.

Under the "resettlement grant" system, which has now been changed, former Ashfield MP Geoff Hoon, former Nottingham East MP John Heppell, ex Nottingham South MP Alan Simpson and Paddy Tipping who was the Sherwood MP were entitled to take more than �64,700 each when they left their jobs last year.

Former Broxtowe MP Nick Palmer took �54,400 as he was entitled to less. All were Labour MPs.

Under rules in place last May, MPs were entitled to the grant to "help them adjust" to non-parliamentary life.

The grant was worked out depending on the number of years the MP has served and their final salary.

Speaking to the Post, Mr Palmer said: "I did take the full amount when I left Parliament. I'd been doing the job for 13 years and I anticipated a potential difficulty in switching careers.

"I thought [of it] in the same was as a redundancy scheme from any other walk of life.

"I think it is a generous scheme but it was the scheme in operation and it was part of the overall package."

And Mr Hoon said: "I claimed what I was entitled to.

"I just followed the rules."

However, critics including the Taxpayers' Alliance argued there was no need for the payment particularly where MPs earned significant wages from jobs outside Westminster.

Changes made to strengthen fairness and accountability in the system after the expenses scandal have since seen the grant massively reduced – though the new system came into force only after the last election.

The House of Commons had previously refused to release a list of who claimed the grant. But the information has now been made available after journalists took the case to the Information Commissioner – which adjudicates disagreements relating to data release – and the Commons Authorities backed down.

The list released at the weekend showed 220 of all MPs eligible to take the grant had taken it.

Of the five that didn't, one, Rudi Vis, died last year. Meanwhile three more – David Chaytor, Jim Devine and Elliot Morely – were subject to criminal proceedings for making illegal claims and have since been jailed.

The fifth member, Harry Cohen, was banned from taking the grant after the Commons ruled he received �60,000 in expenses he was not entitled to.

Mr Simpson, Mr Heppell and Mr Tipping were unavailable for comment.

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