Just two Keen

The concern surrounding the allowances paid to MPs has recently come home to roost for my current constituency representative, Ann Keen, and her husband Alan. Ann is the Labour MP for Brentford and Isleworth, which includes the West end of Chiswick. Unfortunately the would be conservative voters in this leafy suburb are not sufficient to outvote the traditional labour classes in the rest of her area.
Her husband is the MP for the neighbouring Feltham and Heston area. they live in a family house in Brentford.

Now, I can get from Brentford to Waterloo and on to Westminster in 45 minutes, I am sure they could too, but instead they have taken advantage of the £20,000 living allowance which they are entitled to, to purchase a £500,000 flat fifteen minutes walk from the Houses of Parliament. Whether they rent it out or use it themselves is unclear, however, since 2002 they have claimed a total in excess of £175,000.

Still, there is nothing like keeping it in the family. Ann Keen's sister Sylvia Heal is also an MP. Ann Keen's cousin Lady Glynis Kinnock is an MEP. Ann Keen's cousin's husband Lord Neil Kinnock is Chair of the British Council, former EU Commissioner and former Leader of the Labour Party and former MP. Ann Keen's cousins son Stephen until recently at least was (and maybe still is) the head of the British Council in St Petersburg, Russia and therefore employed by the British Government organisation chaired by his father, Lord Kinnock.

Alan is in his seventies, Ann is 60 this year. Recent photographs of her could give rise to suggestions that some of that afore mentioned £175,000 from public funds may have been spent on a bit of nip and tuck. Has she invented per chance, a new definition of taxidermy? I think we should be told.