A WESTMINSTER sleaze watchdog announced a wide-ranging inquiry into MPs’ expenses last night as a Government minister faced a possible investigation over the latest in a string of controversies over second homes.
The Committee on Standards in Public Life said it would begin its inquiry later this year, but not report until after the next general election, warning that reforms already agreed by MPs did not go far enough.
Chairman Sir Christopher Kelly confirmed the widely-expected investigation as pressure mounted on Employment Minister Tony McNulty after it emerged he claimed about £60,000 in Commons allowances on his parents’ home.
Tory MP Greg Hands has submitted a formal complaint to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, John Lyon, who must now decide whether to launch an investigation into whether the rules were broken. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is already under fire for claiming thousands of pounds in allowances for staying in her sister’s south London home.
