Sir , – Are the Thirsk & Malton Constituents aware that Anne McIntosh (aged 60) has a £40,000-plus incentive to stand as a candidate despite being defeated in last year's selection ballot as the Conservative candidate?

If she stands and is defeated she is entitled to Westminster’s “resettlement” package (the first £30,000 tax free) but if she retires gracefully she is not.

She would however, still get her £34,000 per annum UK MP’s pension plus £26,000 per annum from her MEP pension plus her normal state pension of £5,881 per annum.

It would be surprising if she had not taken advantage of the Voluntary European Parliament expenses scheme, as most MEPs do. As she served two terms as an MEP this would be worth a further about £30,000 per year. This would take her annual pension to about £95,000 and yet her salary as an MP and Chair of a select committee is £81,000. So she will be better off retired than working!

Is this why she may stand as a candidate on May 7 and why she voted against reform of UK MP’s expenses in 2008?

GEORGE WINN-DARLEY

Buttercrambe, Malton.