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Former minister Tony McNulty's hopes of being cleared over the expenses affair received a boost today after Sir Thomas Legg suggested he would not have to pay back his second homes allowance.
Mr McNulty came under fire earlier this year after it emerged that he claimed upto £60,000 in taxpayer-funded expenses for a property in his Harrow East constituency - even though his main home was in Hammersmith just a few miles away.
The former employment minister, who quit the Government in June, allows his parents to live in his Harrow home.
Mr McNulty's fate still lies in the hands of Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards John Lyon, who is investigating complaints about his use of the allowance. Mr Lyon is expected to deliver his report this week.
The MP has always insisted he acted within the rules, but decided to stop claiming the Additional Costs Allowance (ACA) in January.
But last night, the MP received a “nothing to repay” letter from Sir Thomas Legg.
“In your case, having examined the records in the light of my interpretation of the rules and standards in force at the time, I have not identified any payments made to you under the ACA during the review period which I consider call for any repayment or further supporting evidence to be provided by you,” Sir Thomas wrote.
“Accordingly, my conclusion is that no action is required from you in this matter.”
However, Sir Thomas added that his findings did not deal with any payments under separate investigation by the Standards Commissioner.
Mr McNulty started claiming allowances for the house in his Harrow constituency in 2001 and continued to do so until January this year even though he moved out in 2002 after getting married for the second time.
Since then he has lived in Hammersmith, which is just nine miles from Harrow.
Mr McNulty says that he has continued to use the house, which he owns, two or three days per week while working in the constituency, and slept there at weekends when he first entered Parliament.
A formal complaint about Mr McNulty's Additional Costs Allowance (ACA) claim was made earlier this year by Greg Hands, the Tory MP for Hammersmith.
The ACA allowed MPs with constituencies outside inner London to claim up to £24,000 to cover the cost of staying overnight away from their main home for the purpose of performing parliamentary duties.
Since the expenses scandal broke, all London MPs can now claim only a flat-rate allowance of £7,000 a year.
Reader views (9)
If he refuses to pay it back it only proves how useless Gordon is and how the whole corrupt system stinks!
He is a thief and should be charged with the theft of Tax payers money. Why should anyone pay taxes to support thieves like McNulty and Smith and the rest of them?
All this fuss made by MPs who have been asked to pay back a few thousand is nothing more than a smokescreen to protect these thieves from handing back all the profits made by flipping homes.
How can it be right for an MP to buy a 2nd home, charge us to pay for it, when paid for, then switch to a new property and start all over again.
Hoon has aproperty portfolio worth millions all paid for by a 2nd homes allowance.
These thieves all need to be prosecuted and sacked...end of story.
If we are not going to see these snakes prosecuted any property they own should be handed back to the Taxpayer, and then stinkinbg thieving hypocrites like Smith can move thier family into thier main residence, her sisters spare room!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If nothing is done I as a self employed person will never pay tax again, I will take my chances in Court if I am caught.
- P Wells, Reading Berkshire
The good voters of Harrow East will get their fox at the General Election. He has not yet got away, good hunting!
- Andrew, London
McNulty made claims which were, to put it mildly, fanciful. Personally i think it verges on dishonesty. Let us just hope that his constituents do what the Labour Party should have done and throw him out at the next election. I am a former Labour voter, and I hope there are quite a few "honourable" gentlemen - and ladies who will soon be former MPs
- Graham, Ilford Essex
Somebody is losing the plot and I think it is probably me. I thought MPs were going to have to give back what they have stolen, but it seems not. Not exactly a surprise ending is it?
- Jilly, London
Well goodness me! What a surprise.
I have to paint the outside of my house so does anyone know where I can get hold of this Labour Whitewash as it seems to 'cover up' in just one 'application'.
Labour MP's are really just the scum of the earth.
- Silent Hunter, Fintry, Scotland
Another Mandelson "chump"
- Jon, london
Well if the committee judging McNulty is the same as Smiths, ie: 6 Labour MPs & 1 Tory MP. I am sure he will get of as lightly as that thieving Smith did.
These Labour vermin have absolutely no shame.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
Well, McNulty's chances of being re-elected are well and truly scuppered.
- R.F.York, Yorks, UK
Joe Public knew precisely what would be the outcome of this whitewash investigation by a Civil Servant.
WHERE ARE THE POLICE?
WHERE ARE THE HANDCUFFS?
ONE LAW FOR JOE PUBLIC AND AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT LAW FOR MP's.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR
