FORMER Haringey Council leader Lord Toby Harris has come under fire for filing an expenses claim of £13,526, despite attending just four meetings.
He is claiming almost £4,944 in travel expenses alone, just £500 short of the total filed by the borough's other 59 councillors put together.
Tory group leader Cllr Peter Forrest accused Lord Harris of being a 'fat cat'.
He said: 'Lord Harris is taking Haringey council tax payers for a ride by using his councillorship, and its related expenses, to support his wider political ambitions.'
He poured more scorn on the Labour group for 'mobile phone abuse' as figures showed some councillors had run up bills reaching thousands of pounds.
Cllr Richard Reynolds handed in a bill for £2,360, while his colleague Cllr Charles Adje had a bill of £1,018.
Cllr Forrest called the figures 'staggering' and said he had referred them to the District Auditor.Lord Harris said he had done up to 30 hours a week work for the council and that it was 'the universal arrangement that the local authority pays for travel when a councillor represents it regionally or nationally.'
Expenses prove it's good to talk
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