Expenses MPs ‘should pay over-claims back’
By Alex Stevenson
Harriet Harman has backed forcing MPs to pay back wrongfully made expenses claims.
The leader of the House, speaking at a seminar hosted by the Centre for Public Policy thinktank, opened up the possibility of clashes with MPs over which claims were acceptable and which were not.
“We have to deal with the past in a way that commands public confidence,” she said, explaining that identifying past over-claims was not enough.
“They need to be paid back,” Ms Harman continued.
“When social security benefits are overpaid, even where it is simply a mistake, they have to be paid back. The same principle must apply to MPs. If they were not fully within the rules as they obtained at the time, allowance payments must be paid back.”
Ms Harman’s comments came as Sir Christopher Kelly’s review of the allowances system prepares its final conclusions. The review is due to report this autumn and is expected to outline the principles on which the watchdog set up by the government – the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority – will operate.
“Our parliament has suffered much self-inflicted injury, and we all recognise that it is imperative that we make every effort to rebuild trust in modern democratic Britain – not just for the sake of our politicians but for the sake of our citizens who need and are entitled to an effective democracy in which they can trust,” Ms Harman added.
“It is not enough for the claims in the future to be clear, transparent and robustly audited.”
