David Tredinnick’s esoteric expense claims

Liberal Democrat Voice has already reported that David Tredinnick, the Tory MP for Bosworth in Leicestershire, has claimed £210 for astrology software from, it appears, “Crucial Astro Tools” and £300 for tuition from the same company to learn how to use it.

This is not the only esoteric expense claim he has made.

Monday's Leicester Mercury reported that in 2006 the Commons fees office rejected a £125 claim from Tredinnick for attending a seminar on intimate relationships run by an acquaintance of his. The event, says the Mercury, was advertised as teaching how to "honour the female and also the male essence and the importance of celebrating each".

The paper quotes Tredinnick defence:

Defending his claim for going on a course that offered to teach about the "deep passions of our intimate relationships", the Tory MP said that half of the people in Hinckley and Bosworth who came to him for help had found themselves in difficulty because of relationship issues.

Mr Tredinnick said he believed too much information had been hidden in the official publication of expenses documents.

He said: "What I was trying to do was look at how people get into trouble in domestic situations, what causes domestic violence and what drives some people to that.

"Bearing in mind the amount of casework I do, I thought this would be quite sensible."

It is no more ridiculous than a lot of claims that were passed by the fees office.

A duck writes: I resent that.