Scunthorpe MP suspended by Labour over expenses

Mr Morley has been a Scunthorpe MP since the General Election in 1997

A Scunthorpe MP who is facing criminal charges over his expense claims has been suspended from the Labour Party.

Elliot Morley faces charges of false accounting under section 17 of the Theft Act 1968.

David Chaytor, MP for Bury North, and Livingston MP Jim Devine, who face similar charges, have also been suspended from the party.

The men vowed to put up a robust defence after the prosecutions were announced on Friday.

Privilege defence

Mr Morley has been an MP for Scunthorpe since the 1997 General Election.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: "The Labour Party's General Secretary has today suspended David Chaytor, Jim Devine and Elliot Morley's membership of the Labour Party in light of the serious allegations against them.

"They had already been barred from standing for Parliament as Labour candidates.

"The decision follows a formal process which included representations from the Chief Whip and consultations with party officials over the weekend and means the three MPs have been suspended from the whip and cannot attend any Labour Party meetings."

The MPs argue that they should have been dealt with by the Commons authorities rather than the police.

Keir Starmer, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said their lawyers had already indicated they were considering using parliamentary privilege as a defence.

But Commons leader Harriet Harman said she was "completely satisfied" that parliamentary privilege did not apply to cases like theft or fraud.