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Occupation of Ann Keen MP's house (from the occupiers!)

Kitsune | 28.06.2009 12:31

In the early hours of Saturday 27th June we (as a collective) legally and legitimately entered and occupied the property of Ann and Alan Keen MP....

....
In light of their recent unnecessary, gratuitous and downright fraudulent expenses claims the couple have been nicknamed "Mr and Mrs Expenses", Some of the things claimed by them and subsidised by taxpayers money include but are not limited to..
- £137,679 between them for their 'second home' in Central London, which they seem to feel they need despite the fact that their abandoned 'first home' in Brentford is only 9 miles away from where they work. This covered interest payments for a £520,000 mortgage although the actual purchase price of the property was only £500,000.
- £50 call out fee for fixing the sound on the home cinema system in their London flat.
- £232 for private medical bills, even though Ann Keen is a health minister and vocal supporter of the NHS.
- £580 for two sat-navs in the space of 6 months, I'd like to reiterate that even if you chose to believe that these MPs live in their 'first home' (which they don't, and their second home is much closer) that's still only 9 miles from their work, to quote Matthew Elliot (chief executive of the taxpayers alliance) “An MP who lives only a few miles from Parliament has no possible need for a sat-nav, and even if he lived in the middle of nowhere it should be down to him to find his way around".
- Regular claims for the couples £55 a week cleaning and ironing bill.
- A collection of claims for snacks, including 55p for ring doughnuts, £1.19 for crisps, £2.05 for fajitas, 78p for fig rolls, about £10 for cans/bottles of cola, not to mention a couple of hundred pounds altogether on other grocery items. Apparently having your weekly food shop paid for by taxpayers is somehow necessary to enable them to do their job as MPs..
- £88 to have their toilet unblocked.
- £430,000 for life insurance policies on each other.

There are currently over 11,000 people on the housing register waiting to be housed in Hounslow alone, this does not include the 500-1000 people not on the housing register in Hounslow for one reason or another (usually down to not fitting criteria or not being able to prove residency) who are sleeping rough, going from sofa to sofa or living in squats. Local authorities have the power to issue EDMOs (Empty Dwelling Management Orders) on properties that have been vacant for six months or longer, however this appears to have been 'conveniently' overlooked in the case of the Keen household which has been sitting empty since the builders left at least 8 months ago. We feel it's immoral, unethical and criminal for anyone, especially public figures such as the Keens who should be promoting and demonstrating help for all these homeless people, to have property sitting empty for so long. The fact that this property is being paid for by the very taxpayers who are losing their jobs and facing homelessness due to the current economic crisis is nothing short of shameful.

In 2003 Ann Keen voted 'very strongly for' the Iraq war and then in later years went on to vote 'strongly against' an investigation into the Iraq war, we therefor feel it would be a fitting statement to put this house back in a habitable condition and then use it to house some of the refugees she helped make homeless through poverty and war. This would also be in keeping with our support and solidarity with all those involved with 'No Borders' at Calais this weekend.

We've already started to tidy up the house and garden a little bit, making it a little bit more comfortable for us and a little bit less of an eyesore for everybody else. The local community has been incredibly supportive, bringing round donations of food and water, offering help and advice and even just vocalising their solidarity as they pass in the street. We spent Saturday afternoon making banners and posters to inform the neighbours of who we are, why we're here and of the statements we're hoping to make. We've also organised a barbeque today for the locals and we hope everyone will come over and enjoy THEIR garden that THEY paid for on this lovely sunny Sunday!

Kitsune

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

leaflet?

28.06.2009 12:52

how about a leaflet. On the case?

If so, how about a couple of paras on encouraging local people to run for Parliament?

jury team
- Homepage: http://www.juryteam.org


good stuff

28.06.2009 16:02

Well done folks. This needs to be on national news before you get evicted. I think most people would support this action regardless of their politics.....because it is so spot on.

beck


Why they need a second home

28.06.2009 19:57

I went to the barbecue this afternoon and I now understand how necessary and important it is for the Keens to claim for a luxury flat (reputedly with swimming pool) near Waterloo. After all, Brentford station is all of 5 minutes walk from their abandoned house and the train to Waterloo takes about 20 minutes. This daily trip -and more- is what many of their constituents have to do to get to their jobs. But it wouldn't be appropriate for the Keens. Oh no! They would be obliged to come into contact with some of the people of Brentford on the train. Some of the lower orders and sweaty multitude of Brentford, in fact, as scandalously there is no first class accommodation on these local trains. In view of the passion with which just about everybody in the area hates and despises them, this would make for a most uncongenial daily journey, which is not to be countenanced, obviously.

The sat navs are also quite understandable. Presumably they're programmed to prevent Anne Keen ever accidentally straying anywhere near Brentford. I have no definite information on whether Alan Keen is any more welcome in his adjacent constituency of Feltham, but I doubt it.

They get their luxury second home allowance by claiming the abandoned Brentford house is their MAIN HOME. If they admitted the posh Waterloo flat is their main home (which it is) they'd get nowt.

So very well done the occupiers! Do get down there and give support and help if you can.

Stroppyoldgit


Double dodgy

30.06.2009 02:31

It's worth pointing out this isn't just Anne Keen's house, it's jointly owned with Alan Keen (MP for next door constituency Feltham & Isleworth). They've only been able to get the massive subsidy for their luxury Waterloo apartment by BOTH claiming the second home allowance! That is, as the MPs' mantra goes "entirely within the rules". Claiming Housing Benefit for a flat when you already have a house 9 miles away, however, is NOT "within the rules". Neither is two people living together claiming the same benefit twice over. Other people get jailed for stuff like that. Different rules for the rulers, see.

Some publicity has suggested we're paying for the house in Brentford or for the (stalled) work to it. That's not correct. It's the luxury apartment near Waterloo we're paying for. But the basis on which the Keens are allowed to claim the money is that the apartment is a "second home", so they need to put somewhere down as their "main home", otherwise they get nothing. Their alleged "main home" is the abandoned building site in Brentford. That's what the place is inside. No water, no toilet and certainly nobody's home. At least it wasn't until the weekend!

Sorry, it's more like 30 minutes on the train to Waterloo. So maybe the whole journey takes 40 minutes from front door to Waterloo. Big deal.

Stroppyoldgit