[BITList] Conservative MPs expenses pay back

[John Feltham]

Friday, June 26, 2009 » 08:42am

Conservative MPs in Britain will collectively pay back another  
$255,191 in expenses claims as a result of the party's inquiry into  
the scandal.
The money will be in addition to the $275,606 already repaid by Tory  
politicians.

MPs James Arbuthnot, Sir John Butterfill, Eleanor Laing, Sir Michael  
Spicer and Sir Peter Viggers are among those paying back money in the  
latest repayments.

The Tories said nine MPs, including former leader Ian Duncan Smith,  
party grandee Michael Ancram, and ex-ministers John Gummer and John  
Redwood, had voluntarily agreed to forgo all or part of any future  
second home allowance claims.

Party leader David Cameron said the agreement of a particular MP to  
make a repayment did not indicate guilt or a breach of the rules.

He added the party had gone beyond Labour and the Liberal Democrats in  
considering whether claims had been disproportionate and not just  
whether they fell within the rules.

The Tories' scrutiny committee has examined all its MPs' expenses  
claims.

Mr Cameron addressed his politicians to explain the process and re- 
assure them there was no element of a witch hunt.

See a list of the new repayments.

Speaking later at Imperial College, London, Mr Cameron said: This is  
not about MPs who have broken the rules. We all know the rules weren't  
good enough.

It's about having to recognise and somehow atone for the mistakes of  
the past.

He said Conservatives also had to work to restore some trust in the  
political system.

Sky's political correspondent Joey Jones said of the latest  
repayments: The hope is that it will remedy some of the discontent and  
anger that there is out in the country.

So those MPs who are paying money back, they will now be able to go  
back to their constituents and say 'well look, I recognise there was a  
problem but it is a problem I have dealt with'.


Comment from John f: I wonder if they think that this makes me feel  
better? They are the same people who have stolen my UK pension.




ooroo

Bad typists of the word, untie.