£500,000 in expenses repaid by MPs

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

The news of the total paid back came as the House of Commons continued to be accused of an attempted cover up after the official release of MPs expenses was heavily censored.

Figures released by the Commons authorities show £478.615.07 has been returned by MPs who broke rules or who decided to hand back cash in a bid to quell constituents' anger.

Among them are MPs whose claims had not previously been publicly questioned and dozens of cases of politicians giving back claims from recent months - not yet made public.

The figures were released hours after campaigners reacted with fury to the heavily-blacked out official publication of more than a million expenses claims.

Critics said that the severely-edited disclosure showed the worst abuses at Westminster, including payments for moat cleaning, would never have come to light if a full version had not been leaked.

MPs passed a measure exempting their addresses and other "security-sensitive" information from publication - meaning practices such as "flipping" second homes would have remained hidden.

Campaigner Heather Brooke, who helped secure the publication, said it was clear "avoiding embarrassment has been the key motivating factor of what's been deleted".

Among previously unreported repayments, which ranged from more than £40,000 to just £1, was £4,200 handed over by International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander. A spokesman said the claims - concerning the rental of a property - had been within the rules but that the Cabinet minister had decided to return the money "for the avoidance of doubt".

Former Labour minister Paddy Tipping told the BBC that the £14,320 he paid back was for home loan interest claimed for his second home since 2003 when he remortgaged the property to fund improvements.