A ruling party lawmaker became the latest casualty of a growing row over MPs' expenses when he was suspended Saturday, as police said they would examine whether the issue merited an investigation.
The suspension of David Chaytor from the Labour Party's parliamentary grouping comes a day after junior justice minister Shahid Malik stepped down while his claims for tens of thousands of pounds are investigated.
Chaytor, the representative for the Bury North constituency in northwest England, was reprimanded after The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported he claimed 13,000 pounds 14,500 euros, 19,700 dollars for mortgage interest on a loan that had already been paid off. He has said he will repay the amount.
"After speaking to David Chaytor this morning, the chief whip has suspended him from the privilege of membership of the Parliamentary Labour Party pending further investigations by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards," a spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Downing Street office said.
The spokesman said the suspension should not be seen as a presumption of guilt.
"In respect of mortgage interest payments, there has been an unforgivable error in my accounting procedures for which I apologise unreservedly," Chaytor told the Telegraph in a statement.
"I will act immediately to ensure repayment is made to the Fees Office of the House of Commons."
The lavishness of many of the MPs' claims -- revealed over the past week by the Telegraph and which have included maintenance for swimming pools, tennis courts, and even a moat -- have sparked outrage in Britain.
Former Labour minister Elliot Morley was also suspended last week under similar circumstances, and lawmakers from the main opposition Conservatives and smaller Liberal Democrats have also been sharply criticised.
Malik, the Telegraph revealed, had claimed nearly 67,000 pounds on his London home over three years, while paying less than 100 pounds a week on a house in his constituency he designated his main residence.
Brown has asked an independent advisor on ministerial interests, Philip Mawer, to investigate the claims against Malik, and a spokesman said the minister would retain his job if he was cleared.
A poll out Friday put Labour on 22 percent, against 41 percent for the Conservatives, with a general election due by mid-2010.
The potential legal implications of the scandal were laid bare, meanwhile, when London police said senior officers and lawyers would scrutinise complaints about lawmakers' claims to see if they merit a criminal investigation.
And the revelations made by the Telegraph showed no sign of halting on Saturday, as the eighth day of stories revealed a veteran Labour MP claimed 8,000 pounds for a television.
The lawmaker, Gerald Kaufman, asked a civil servant handling the claims "why are you querying these expenses?" and he was not paid the full amount, the newspaper reported.
The top of a dandelion seed head is seen in Marysville, Pa. AP/Carolyn Kaster
New User?
New User?
buzzed up:
6 seconds ago 2009-05-16T06:59:04-07:00
buzzed up:
7 seconds ago 2009-05-16T06:59:03-07:00
buzzed up:
8 seconds ago 2009-05-16T06:59:02-07:00
left a comment:
17 seconds ago 2009-05-16T06:58:53-07:00
buzzed up:
20 seconds ago 2009-05-16T06:58:50-07:00
0 comments:
Post a Comment