Spotlight on Tories in expenses storm
The newspaper that has obtained receipts for MPs’ expenses has warned the Conservative party to expect a week of bad headlines.
The Daily Telegraph has pledged that Alan Duncan will be the first of several senior Tory MPs having their expenses receipts published in the coming weeks.
The shadow leader of the House, responsible for overseeing his party’s policy on expenses, claimed almost £4,000 over three years for his garden, the paper claimed tonight.
It reports that Alan Duncan, former shadow business secretary and now shadow leader of the House, claimed thousands of pounds on his garden until agreeing with the fees office that the claims “could be considered excessive”. He has not been asked to repay the money, however.
According to the Telegraph, the Rutland and Melton MP, a multimillionaire from a previous career as an oil trader, has claimed £127,658 under second home allowances in the last six years – £126 short of the maximum.
In a statement he told the paper: “It was me who raised the issue of gardening costs with the fees office. Although it was a legitimate claim, we agreed that it might be seen as too large a single item and therefore I did not claim it… Everything I have claimed has been legitimate and approved by the fees office.”
Labour MPs had previously expressed anger that they were being singled out by the paper.
