Brown 'did deal with MPs over expenses'

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Sir John Baker, chairman of the Senior Salaries Review Body from 2001 to 2008, blasted the Prime Minister's decision to ignore calls to reform allowances last year.

Sir John pointed out that he had recommended that the issue of expenses be taken out of the hands of Parliament but suggested that Mr Brown was more interested in doing a "deal" with his own MPs.

In an unprecedented blast at Downing Street, Sir John said he had urged ministers last year to "get a better grip of expenses". "The Government, however, chose to take a short-sighted view on pay and, to get this accepted by their backbenchers, did a deal with them enabling MPs to determine still their own expense system," he said.

Meanwhile, an overwhelming majority of the public believe most MPs make "dishonest" expense claims and want the system scrapped, according to a PoliticsHome.com survey.