Robert Syms, a Conservative MP, claimed more than £2,000 worth of furniture on expenses for his designated second home in London, but had it all delivered to his parents’ address in Wiltshire.
Mr Syms, the MP for Poole in Dorset, chose to send a bed, mattress, bedroom furniture, sofa and chair to their home, which is just five miles from his designated main residence in his constituency.
In January 2007, he submitted an expense claim to the fees office that included a £1,379.75 receipt from Beds Direct in Chippenham, and a £677 receipt from DFS in Swindon.
Yesterday, the 52-year-old, who has two children and is divorced, insisted that his actions were above board.
He said: “The reason is that I was a director of a building company in Chippenham and the easiest thing was to get the items shipped to my parents’ address.
“It was stored there and then taken up in a van.
“If I had had it delivered to London, I would have had to spend all the day waiting for a delivery, when obviously I am busy in parliament.
“My parents took delivery and then I took it up to London a week or two later to my second address – I drove the van myself.” Mr Syms was elected as an MP in 1997 and became a frontbench spokesman for environment, transport and the regions in 1999.
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