Brown’s expenses plan in tatters
By Alex Stevenson
Downing Street’s attempt to seize the MPs expenses agenda lies in tatters after Gordon Brown was forced to abandon his attempted reforms.
No 10 had hoped to replace the second homes allowance with a flat rate based on daily attendance in the Commons in a vote due on Thursday.
But a refusal to accept the proposals by the main opposition parties and disquiet among the government’s own backbenches led Mr Brown into a humiliating retreat yesterday.
The motion tabled yesterday evening in parliament includes a range of reforms which have achieved all-party support.
These include changing the way MPs’ staff are employed, forcing the publication of all receipts and requiring MPs to disclose all details of any additional income they receive.
Without the headline measure, however, critics say they leave the problem of second homes allowances unresolved.
Sir Christopher Kelly is holding a review which will provide long-term solutions to the issue of MPs’ allowances.
In a letter to Downing Street he rejected speculation that No 10 had asked him to hurry through his proposals. Sir Christopher wrote that “we aim to complete our review as early as we can, consistent with the need to do a thorough job”.
Mr Brown has pressed the “enormous progress” which has been made on MPs’ expenses and pressed his proposals announced last week were always “designed to build consensus”.
