MPs face inquiries in claims scandal
Saturday 10th October 2009, 9:25AM BST.
The expenses scandal will return to haunt the Commons next week when MPs are set to be sent letters about their claims over the past five years.
Auditors are expected to ask up to 100 members to justify instances where they have received public money, or to repay it.
The letters are reportedly being sent out by former civil servant Sir Thomas Legg, who has been leading a review of all claims since 2004.
Sir Thomas is believed to be examining cases where MPs have used parliamentary expenses to improve their second homes and make a profit, rather than just maintain them.
He is also said to have uncovered more examples where taxpayers’ money has been used to pay off the capital element of mortgages, instead of just interest on the borrowing.
The letters will be sent out privately, and Sir Thomas is not expected to deliver his final report until December.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph today, Gordon Brown said he believed the “worst offenders” should be prosecuted.
“It’s right to distinguish between what you might call corruption in some cases, which is for the courts to decide, and honest mistakes or misunderstandings about rules that are very unclear,” he said.
“Some cases will end up in the courts, where someone’s done something very wrong we’ve got a duty to deal with them most severely.”
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Theft that is what it is any one working in a office or factory who did this would be sacked! why are the House of Thieves, sorry Commons exempt from prosecution?
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You will forget all about these thieves when the next election comes up in your quest to put the conservatives back in.
Glad I’ve left you to it.
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I can not believe the statement, the worst offenders should be prosecuted. A crime is a crime however small, only going back 5 years does that mean anyone thieving over 5 years ago will be excused? Like our dishonerable members of the House of Thieves, sorry commons
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So Gordon Brown said he believed the “worst offenders” should be prosecuted. Why start now, what about all the other mps who have fiddled their expenses, when it all was first broke to the nation.
They should just sack all those who have abused the system, ie when it was announced, now, call a election and get some new blood in and a new set of rules, etc, to which are available to the public, at all times. Then may be we will start to trust them.
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hanging is too good for them, they should be hammered
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