Tory candidate Simon Hoare sets out his code of conduct on expenses

Simon Hoare, our candidate in Cardiff South and Penarth has set out his code of conduct on expenses on his website:

"As your MP I would claim my salary, I would need help to run a constituency office and pay for rail travel from Cardiff to London.  I would use the staff allowance in order to ensure that the most able people helped me deliver the first class service you should expect from your Westminster Representative.  But, no member of my family would work for me.  I'd pay for my family's food, pay for my furnishings, utilities and my council tax - these are my cost of living expenses, not the tax payers.  Any claims would be receipted, sent to the local media and put on our website.  I'd never claim something that, in my heart and in my head I could not justify.  I would try to be an Honourable Member."

Full statement here.

Please email us if you know of other candidates setting the pace on this.

5pm: What some other candidates are saying...

Stuart Andrew, our candidate in Pudsey: "I am not a rich man and paying for accommodation in London and in the constituency is not something I can afford without help—I will ONLY claim for Accommodation in London and not for renovations,new bathrooms or new kitchens. I will NOT claim for things like TV’s, Barbeques etc—If I want one I will pay for it personally. I will use my Office expenses wisely so that I can serve you efficiently. I will publish EVERYTHING I claim for on my website. I will vote that all MP’s salaries and expenses should be dealt with by an Independent outside body and NOT MP’s. I know trust in Politicians is very low—but this is my pledge and I will keep it."

Ben Jones, PPC for Halton: "If I were to become the MP for Halton I would:

• Be completely open about all of my expenses and allowances, publishing full details every year
• Only claim expenses for costs I have incurred in doing my job as an MP (e.g. travel costs and office allowances)
• Provide receipts for all my expense claims
• Not employ members of my family
• Only claim expenses in relation to a second home where they were genuinely incurred, not because I was "entitled" to them."

Paul Maynard, Blackpool North and Cleveleys: "If you want to be an MP, don’t do it because you want to be rich. Public service is a privilege. If you want to ‘make a difference’ as so many say they do, that should be a difference to people’s lives rather than your own bank balance. If you behave otherwise, you deserve everything you get. Merely saying it was ‘in good faith’ or ‘within the rules’ is not good enough. What does that mean? Whose faith? And if the rules aren’t good enough in the first place, that is no defence either."