MP Expenses: Newcastle East MP must provide more information on his claims (Newcastle upon Tyne Liberal Democrats)

Newcastle upon Tyne Liberal Democrats <info@newcastle-libdems.org.uk>

MP Expenses: Newcastle East MP must provide more information on his claims

October 10, 2009 2:00 PM
Originally published by Greg Stone

Following the news that the official investigation into the Parliamentary expense scandal is set to recommend that approximately 100 MPs face further investigation of their expenses, Lib Dem parliamentary spokesman for Newcastle East Greg Stone has called on Newcastle East's Labour MP Nick Brown to do "the honourable thing" and provide evidence in support of his sizable expenses claims, which were the highest in the North East last year.

Investigator Sir Thomas Legg is writing to MPs to advise them if they have no case to answer or requesting them to pay back expenses that may have been improperly claimed. He is expected to write to several MPs asking them to provide further information in support of their claims. The Prime Minister has also suggested in an interview this weekend that "the worst offenders should be prosecuted".

Greg Stone said "As Parliament resumes, it is clear that the expenses scandal has still got a long way to run, despite MPs hoping that it might die down. Given that Nick Brown pre-emptively claimed he had nothing to hide when the scandal broke, he should now do the honourable thing and provide documentary evidence to support his claims if Sir Thomas Legg questions his account"