Pressure grows for MPs fraud inquiry

Amid a growing public outcry, a panel of senior Scotland Yard officers and prosecutors will meet to decide what action to take over claims some MPs misused Parliamentary expenses.

Officials will assess whether criminal inquiries are warranted after a number of complaints from the public – including Middlesbrough Mayor and former senior police officer Ray Mallon.

The Northern Echo revealed yesterday that Mr Mallon has written to the Metropolitan Police Commssioner, Sir Paul Stephenson, demanding action.

Mr Mallon said: ‘‘From what I have seen, there is evidence criminality has occurred.

It is the police’s responsibility to investigate.

‘‘If I stand by and do nothing, then I am as good as condoning what has gone on.’’ His tough stance was backed by veteran Middlesbrough MP Sir Stuart Bell, who said: “I fully agree with Ray Mallon that the matter should be in the hands of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner.

Who is investigated and on what basis is a matter for the police.”

Campaign groups have threatened to launch private prosecutions if the Metropolitan Police do not investigate.

It is understood some senior officers are unwilling for the force to become embroiled in another complex political inquiry.

Previous political probes included investigations dubbed cash-for-honours, donor-gate and lords-for-hire. But complaints have flooded in this week as MPs reeled from a series of damaging revelations about their expenses. Police have received complaints against a number of high-profile Parliamentarians, including the Chancellor, Alistair Darling.

Meanwhile two more of the region’s MPs last night vowed to defy a Labour Party request to release their expenses receipts within days, telling voters: “You will have to wait.”

Sir Stuart went further, saying any MP complying with the call to make them available from Monday would be breaching data protection laws. Sir Stuart, and Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South and east Cleveland), joined Frank Cook (Stockton North) and Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland) in resisting the pressure to speed up publication.

The stance makes it likely that many constituents across the North-East will have to wait at least a month to see if their MP is affected by the scandal that has engulfed Westminster. Ms Goodman pointed out in a letter to The Northern Echo (see page 8) that she had published details of previous years’ expenses on her website and said she had nothing to hide.

The scandal claimed its first ministerial casualty yesterday, when Gordon Brown or- Pressure grows for MPs fraud inquiry dered Shahid Malik to stand down from his post as junior justice minister.

Mr Malik was revealed to have designated his London flat as his second home – claiming £66,000 on the property over three years – while his main home was a rented three-bedroomed house in his Dewsbury constituency.

The MP claimed £2,100 for a 40in flatscreen television, although the Commons authorities only agreed to pay him for half the sum, and a £730 massage chair.

However, he was forced to quit pending an investigation into whether he broke the ministerial code by failing to declare that his £100-a-week rent was subsidised – a claim Mr Malik denied. Last night, his constituency Labour Party gave him their unanimous support.

An official breakdown of every expense claim made going back four years – totalling 700,000 receipts – is due to be published by the Commons authorities in the middle of next month.

But Labour MPs have been told to open their books within days.

Some North-East MPs – led by Hilary Armstrong (Durham North-West) and Sharon Hodgson (Gateshead East and Washington West) – vowed to put every receipt on their websites from Monday.

Others warned it would take longer to finish “redacting”

their receipts to remove personal details such as bank account details and national insurance numbers.

Last night, Sir Stuart said: “There is no obligation on any Labour MP to publish allowances before mid-June and it is not possible to publish edited versions prior to that date. Anyone who publishes documents in the meantime is breaking the Data Protection Act in relation to third parties who may be listed in those documents.”

Mr Kumar said: “My expenses will be published when the Commons publishes them and they will be available for everyone to see at that point.”

However, Vera Baird (Redcar), who said: “I will do my very best. I have no problem with releasing the receipts, but you can’t be too careful with people’s personal bank details.”

Fraser Kemp (Houghton and Washington East) said: “I will publish them as soon as is practicable.”

A spokesman for Bill Etherington (Sunderland North) said: “He is abroad at the moment and will consider the matter when he returns on Monday.”

Iain Wright (Hartlepool), Hugh Bayley (City of York) and Chris Mullin (Sunderland South) – have not replied to telephone calls made by The Northern Echo.