MP family expense claims revealed

The latest revelations in the Sunday Telegraph have shown how MPs have been able to claim extra expenses by employing members of their family.

Some have received money for a main home as well as a second home because spouses use it for Parliamentary work.

London MP Derek Conway, who lost the Tory whip, claimed on a house 330 miles from his constituency, the paper says.

And Malcolm Bruce, the president of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, claimed for his London flat and a home in Scotland.

The Telegraph said the MP, who employs his wife, Rosemary, was paid nearly £3,100 towards his Scottish home as well as more than £61,186 for his London property between April 2006 and March 2008.

Thousands of pounds

Mr Bruce said he had done nothing "improper", adding: "I've always claimed the actual costs that I've incurred for providing an office for my wife to work from.

"The fact is I'm meticulous in making sure that I claim retrospectively for the costs I've incurred, wholly and exclusively for the purposes for which they're provided."

The newspaper also reports that Derek Conway, who had the Tory whip withdrawn last year after being reprimanded by the Commons' Standards and Privileges Committee for overpaying his sons, received thousands of pounds for two family homes.

He claimed taxpayers' money on a family house in Northumberland after telling Commons officials he did Parliamentary work there, even though it is 330 miles away from his Commons seat of Old Bexley and Sidcup, in south-east London, the paper said.

The paper also alleges Michael Clapham, Labour MP for Barnsley West and Penistone, claimed £210 for a pair of glasses for his wife and assistant, Yvonne, who works as his office assistant on his taxpayer-funded office allowance. The fees office reduced his payment to £50, the maximum allowable for glasses

Mr Clapham also claimed £64 on the office budget for dinner services and £19.97 for an iron, the paper said.

Number of casualties

On Saturday, Tory MP Andrew MacKay, said he would step down at the next general election.

The MP for Bracknell, Berkshire, made the announcement after a conversation with the Conservative leader, David Cameron.

Mr MacKay had already resigned as Mr Cameron's aide because he and his wife, Julie Kirkbride, MP for Bromsgrove, both claimed second home allowances.

David Cameron told the Andrew Marr Show on BBC One: "We had a very straightforward conversation about it and the right decision we took was that he should retire."

He also suggested he could have acted quicker after learning of Mr Mackay's arrangements: "Sometimes you don't get it right first time."

Ms Kirkbride is now having to defend herself against newspaper claims her brother lives rent-free in one of the homes.

"To describe this arrangement as my brother living rent-free is a total distortion"
Julie Kirkbride

Kirkbride faces more claims

Earlier she said: "To describe this arrangement as my brother living rent-free is a total distortion."

Mr Cameron told the Andrew Marr Show her case was different: "To be fair to Julie she does genuinely live in London, that's where her son goes to school, and she does have a genuine constituency home in Worcestershire."

But he added that she would "have to answer questions" about who else lived at her constituency home.

Other Conservative MPs to announce they are standing down include Douglas Hogg, MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham, Sir Peter Viggers, MP for Gosport and Totnes MP Anthony Steen.

During the expenses revelations Labour has seen Commons speaker Michael Martin resign, Shahid Malik step aside as justice minister and former agriculture minister Elliot Morley and backbencher David Chaytor, suspended by the Parliamentary Labour Party.

And Labour ex-chairman Ian McCartney, for Makerfield, announced he would be standing down at the next election due to poor health. On Friday, Vale of Glamorgan MP John Smith, also said he was also standing down due to his health and a wish to spend more time with his family.

Correction 27 May 2009: An earlier version of this story wrongly referred to Michael Clapham MP claiming £694.93 for dinner services, instead of £64.93.

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