UK former minister claims £16,000 for mortgage that didn't exist

Photos

Elliot Morley MP | Photo 02

see larger image

uploaded by SouthbankSteve

• 

  uploaded by SouthbankSteve | add comment

• 

  uploaded by SouthbankSteve | add comment

• 

  uploaded by SouthbankSteve | add comment

• 

  uploaded by SouthbankSteve | add comment

• 

  uploaded by SouthbankSteve | add comment

Elliot Morley, a former farming minister under Tony Blair, received £16,000 over 18 months in expenses for a mortgage he had already paid off. The UK's Daily Telegraph has laid bare a series of sleaze allegations involving Britain's lawmakers.

Mr Morley has paid back the money calling the claim 'a mistake'.

This is the latest charge against MPs in a scandal that is alienating the public from politics. There are elections for the European Parliament next month and the major parties fear that support will ebb away to more extreme candidates such as the avowedly racist BNP.

A number of leading politicans from Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are under the spotlight for abusing the system. Most of the allegations concern the second home allowances MPs can claim for being away from their primary home. A number of lawmakers have been shown to have 'flipped' the designation in order to maximise their expenses claim.

The paper alleges that Conservative politicans have used their expenses to pay for the cleaning of a swimming pool and a moat as well as repairs to a tennis court and the installation of chandeliers in their homes.

The commons authorities had tried to keep this information secret but were ordered by a High Court judge to publish it. Parliament had yet to do so when the Telegraph become running its stories thanks to an alleged leak from within what's called the fees office.

Most MPs defend themselves saying their actions are within the House of Common's rules although there has been a recent rush to repay money.

The Speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin MP, is also in trouble. He faces a vote of no confidence as early as next week. A growing number of MPs are concerned that he does not have the authority to deal with what is rapidly becoming a crisis in public trust in Parliament.

The chances of Sir Ming Campbell MP an early front runner to succeed Mr Martin as speaker have taken a knock. It has been revealed that the former leader of the Lib Dems used his parliamentary allowance to 'do up' his London flat. He has since paid back some of the money he used to employ an interior designer reported to be a family friend.

UPDATE: (Thursday) the Press Association reported that Mr Morley had been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party