Speaker hopefuls' expenses revealed
The MPs vying to succeed Michael Martin as Speaker of the House of Commons are under scrutiny after fresh disclosures about their expenses claims.
New details of their taxpayer-funded expenditure emerged in the Sunday Telegraph - just a day before the election of the next Speaker.
Among the latest allegations are that ex-minister Margaret Beckett claimed almost £11,000 in gardening expenses, and Tory Ann Widdecombe claimed more than £9,000 for a newspaper cuttings service.
In addition: Tory MP John Bercow twice claimed for an accountant to complete his tax return, reportedly costing the public purse more than £480 each time.
Sir Alan Beith, a Liberal Democrat, used his office expenses to pay for his secretary to work in his constituency during the 2005 general election campaign, at a cost of £220 a week. He claimed twice for items on his office expenses.
Sir Patrick Cormack, a senior backbench Conservative, claimed expenses on both of his homes by designating part of his main residence as an office, thereby claiming £9,820 towards heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance and council tax bills.
Labour MP Parmjit Dhanda over-claimed for mortgage interest on his second home allowance at least twice. He now says he "believed" the allegation was wrong.
Sir Michael Lord, currently deputy Speaker, claimed for television footage and prints from the House of Commons taken on a day he took part in a debate. The Tory MP said he would not repay the money because constituents had asked him for the recordings and prints.
Sir Alan Haselhurst found himself in trouble with the Commons fees office for submitting estimates of his expenses claims, while Tory Richard Shepherd, a Conservative MP, repaid £162 after deciding he should not have claimed for cleaning and gardening at his constituency home.
Sir George Young, the Tory who lost to Michael Martin in the last election for Speaker, claimed for the cost of a video camera to post clips of himself talking to constituents on YouTube. He has also claimed the maximum second home allowance on his London flat over the past two years.
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