Tory anger at latest sleaze

Conservative MPs have told the Standard how furious they were to see that Mr Clement had used London taxpayers' cash to buy meals with them and other party figures.

Several senior Tories at Westminster have been dismayed by Mr Clement's conduct, particularly at a time when MPs expenses have shown the public's anger at any perceived abuses.

Tory assembly member James Cleverly pointed out the danger to the Tory party of yet another Bexley Conservative bringing the party into disrepute.

"It looks like Ian has been stupid and greedy at best. I'm angry and disappointed," he said.

"I won't pretend that this won't add to the local anger caused by Derek Conway's behaviour but both these issues are personal failings of individuals both of which were dealt with decisively by the party.

Shadow Minister for London Justine Greening had lunch at Pizza Express with the deputy mayor in April this year but was amazed to see that he had claimed back the £35.10 cost.

"I had no idea he would be charging our lunch to the taxpayer. It was completely inappropriate to do so. I assumed that he would pick up the tab himself and the next time we lunched I would pay out of my own pocket too," Ms Greening said. "It was totally unacceptable."

Another MP went "ballistic" when they learned of Mr Clement's claims and suggested that he should quit last week even before the latest allegations that he had claimed lunches with people who were not present.

At the Conservative Friends of Israel dinner last week, several senior figures were irritated that there was another "Tory sleaze" affair to deal with just as the party was coming out of the fiasco over duckhouses and moats.

Mr Clement also claimed for a £75.38 lunch with Shadow Police Minister David Ruffley at the Cinnamon Club in Westminster, as well as lunch with Tory MP James Brokenshire and a "coffee" with MP Bob Neill.

Mr Clement also charged for a £65 dinner with Shadow Transport Secretary Theresa Villiers during the Tory conference in Birmingham last year.

Mr Johnson's chief of staff Sir Simon Milton and Executive Director of Resources will be grilled by the London Assembly's Business Management and Administration Committee (BMAC) tomorrow on the systems set up to combat expenses abuses.

But the Mayor himself is also under fire from Labour and the Liberal Democrats for his initial decision to back Mr Clement and the London Assembly will tomorrow ask a string of questions about the way he was allowed to run up a £7,000 bill on a City Hall credit card for 10 months without any apparent checks and in breach of Inland Revenue rules.

One key issue will be the clear breach of the GLA's rule banning staff from using public money to entertain fellow members of staff. The very first paragraph of City Hall's "Expenses and Benefits Framework" makes clear that the Inland Revenue forbid claims for lunches or dinners between colleagues, but Mr Clement claimed for a lunch with Kulveer Ranger, the Mayor's transport director.

The rules also make clear lunches and dinners "must not be predominantly for social purposes" and state that where possible business meals must be done at City Hall itself "given the very limited resources for entertaining".