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David Cameron moved to outflank Labour over the MPs' expenses scandal today as it emerged that at least two of his senior allies have been ordered to repay four-figure sums.
The Tory leader warned his MPs that they would be barred from standing at the next election if they refused requests to pay up when Sir Thomas Legg delivered his final verdict.
As most Government ministers refused to come clean on how much they owe, the Conservatives tried to steal a march on Gordon Brown by revealing the sums demanded from the Shadow Cabinet by Sir Thomas.
The Standard understands that at least two Shadow Cabinet ministers will have to pay up sums in the “low thousands”, although Tory sources stressed that there were “no shockers” in the list.
In what appeared to be a deliberate ploy by the Government, Cabinet ministers avoided all requests to disclose details of their own Legg letters.
By contrast, the Conservatives were keen to give as much full disclosure as possible as Mr Cameron made clear he would not tolerate any resistance from his party to respond to public anger.
Mr Cameron said that the Legg inquiry was a key part of cleaning up Parliament and “everyone” had to abide by the eventual decision made in the audit of expenses.
“In the end, if people are asked to pay back money and if the authorities determine that money should be paid back and they don't pay it back, in my view, they can't stand as Conservative MPs, that is the minimum point,” Mr Cameron told GMTV.
“One point is important, this is a process, you get a letter, in the letter it says this is provisional' and you have to reply to the letter and there will be some issues of determination about whether it is correctly described and all the rest of it.
“But at the end of the process, MPs have to pay back the money they are asked to by the authorities. To me that is the least we can do to try and sort out these problems of the past before going on to the future.”
The Prime Minister last night agreed to pay back more than £12,000 of excessive expenses claims for cleaning bills. Mr Cameron was asked for more details about his mortgage.
Reader views (2)
Sickening, isn´t it? Members of HM armed forces, injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, are being faced with the prospect of having their compensation payments cut, while grasping, greedy MPs are whinging about having to repay dubious "expenses". Would a change of government help? I´m not convinced the Tories would be any better than Labour.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands, 13/10/2009 15:20
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Good. He's right on this, but it shouldn't be a party political issue, all the leaders should be saying this and firmly.
- Kevin T, Beckenham, Kent, 13/10/2009 13:44
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