Tory defends claims amid quit calls
Conservative backbencher Julie Kirkbride has defended her expenses claims amid growing calls for her to stand down as an MP.
Ms Kirkbride said her arrangements over Commons allowances were "quite different" from those of her husband Andrew MacKay, who announced last week that he will leave Parliament at the next general election.
But Ms Kirkbride admitted she knew Mr MacKay had been claiming second home expenses of £23,000 a year on the couple's London address, despite not having a property in his Bracknell constituency.
Ms Kirkbride also insisted it was "appropriate" for her to employ her sister as a secretary, even though she lives more than 100 miles from her Bromsgrove constituency.
Ms Kirkbride acknowledged she would have to quit if Mr Cameron asked her to go at the next election. "If David Cameron asks me to go, then of course I will do as he asks," she said.
Meanwhile, Downing Street moved to defend ministers under fire for claiming for tax advice on their parliamentary expenses.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has warned that expenses claimed for accountancy fees for completing personal tax returns were liable for tax.
Ten ministers, including Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, issued a statement insisting that they had paid all tax for which they were liable.
They were responding to a report in the Daily Telegraph which claimed 42 ministers had claimed a total of £25,000 for tax advice.
Gordon Brown's spokesman indicated that the Prime Minister was satisfied with their explanation - although he said a reminder was being issued to other members of the Government that they must meet their tax liabilities.
