No escape from expenses, leaders tell MPs

Gordon Brown and David Cameron warn MPs they must pay back any expenses as dictated by Sir Thomas Legg

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Tuesday, 13, Oct 2009 05:10

By Matthew Champion.

Gordon Brown and David Cameron have warned their MPs they must pay back any expenses as dictated to them by Sir Thomas Legg.

Sir Thomas is leading the official investigation into all questionable expenses claims made between 2004 and 2009, and has written to 600 MPs with his conclusions.

Yesterday it emerged Mr Brown would repay £12,415 in cleaning and gardening expenses, while Mr Cameron has been asked to supply more information about over-claims he made with his mortgage in 2006.

On Tuesday both men moved to stave off discontent within their parties that Sir Thomas was going beyond his remit.

Speaking to a meeting of the parliamentary Labour party last night, the prime minister stressed the importance of repaying the expenses and moving on.

"We cannot have closure unless we deal with this," he said.

Conservative party leader Mr Cameron went further, telling GMTV that any Tory MPs who refused to pay would have the whip withdrawn from them.

"In the end, if people are asked to pay back money and they don't pay it back, in my view they can't... stand as Conservative MPs," he said.

MPs have three weeks to query or challenge Sir Thomas' letters.

One MP who has already agreed to accept his recommendations is Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, who is repaying £910 of £3,900 he claimed for gardening between 2006 and 2009.