Morning:
10°c
Renewed fire over MPs' expenses
30.01.10
- Union urges BA chairman to step in
- Labour fights lobbying after expose
- Father reveals kidnap ordeal horror
- Sarah Payne photos in killer's cell
- 74 arrests in demo clash
- Girl, 4, killed on Florida beach
- Mass-goers hear Pope's apology
- Darling rules out giveaway Budget
- Balls faces battle with teachers
- Jade cancer 'diagnosed too late'
The auditor of MPs' expenses was under pressure after a string of his repayment demands were overturned on appeal.
A series of MPs who had challenged Sir Thomas Legg's rulings stepped forward to announce their appeals had been upheld.
However, the vast majority of the 80 MPs who had appealed to former judge Sir Paul Kennedy were keeping their counsel after receiving his verdicts on their cases on Thursday.
The full details of which MPs must re-pay what will not be officially published, by the Commons, until next Thursday.
But some of those who have had some success with the appeals process announced the results early and suggested Sir Thomas had not been as thorough as he should have been in the first place.
As the first results of the appeal process began to emerge, a Labour MP accused of a "particularly serious breach" of parliamentary rules apologised to the Commons.
Harry Cohen said he had the "greatest respect for Parliament" and "would not intentionally have wanted to do anything to tarnish its reputation". He added: "I am sorry if I have done so."
Mr Cohen was ordered to apologise on the floor of the House by the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee over his second home allowance claims.
After auditing all MPs' expenses between 2004 and 2008, Sir Thomas last year instructed about 200 MPs to return hundreds of thousands of pounds in "excessive" second home claims. But he infuriated many by imposing retrospective rules and limits for reasonable spending on activities such as gardening and cleaning.
Among those cleared altogether were Tory MP Roger Gale, Liberal Democrat MP Jeremy Browne and Labour MP David Clelland. Mr Gale said: "I'm gratified that Sir Paul Kennedy has done thoroughly and very carefully the job that I had hoped and expected that Sir Thomas Legg was going to do."
Reader views (3)
What else could be ecpected if it's left to politicians to decide on their own rules? I there was any one of them with an ounce of honesty, they would be working for their living, and not poncingg off the State. They are each and every one of them parasites, led by that lowest form of scumbag, Blair.
- P'Doff Pensioner, London / UK
List of names of those who appealed and all details behind their expenses and the reason for their appeal before the election please.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
Who is actually sitting on the appeals panel, not a group of MPs surely?. Or have members of the appeals panel been appointed by MPs?. Either way those MPs accused of overclaiming on their expenses will find ways of discrediting Mr Legg. It's the same old story, MPs will always find a way of defeating anyone who dares to challenge their behaviour when it comes to taxpayers cash.
- Paddy, croydon
