JULIE Kirkbride and Margaret Moran were always fighting a losing battle to keep their jobs as MPs once details of their expenses were made public.

They clung on by their fingertips for as long as they could, but their fall was inevitable in the face of national outrage.

Ms Kirkbride, the Tory MP for Bromsgrove, came under intense pressure for employing her sister as a part-time secretary – even though she lived more than 100 miles away – and then blowing £50,000 of taxpayers’ money to build an extension for her brother at her constituency flat.

David Cameron, who has so far outgunned Gordon Brown in responding to the expenses crisis, disappointingly gave Ms Kirkbride his support when he should have taken a far tougher line on her cavalier attitude towards the public purse.

Margaret Moran, Labour MP for Luton South, can also have no complaints about being forced to quit over her claim for £22,500 to treat dry rot at her “second home” in Southampton – 100 miles from her constituency.

How long will it be before former Labour minister Elliot Morley is also jettisoned for “mistakenly” claiming £16,000 for a mortgage which had already been paid off?

In the meantime, Julie Kirkbride and Margaret Moran will take comfort from banking substantial Commons “redundancy” pay-offs in return for their appalling judgement.

Ms Moran will receive £54,000 and Ms Kirkbride is in line for £32,000 – with the first £30,000 tax-free.

The brakes may have been applied to the gravy train – but it hasn’t stopped rolling yet.