BRITAIN’S MPs were at war with their expenses watchdog last night, after it published their "repayments" for wrongful claims – when many were blunders made by its own officials.
Among those named was Andrew Miller, the Ellesmere Port and Neston MP, who was listed as having paid back £504.40 to the under-fire Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa).
The Labour MP was said to have repaid £405.20 claimed for rail fares and a further £99.20 lodged for mileage costs for car travel in his constituency.
But the Daily Post understands the £504.40 was overpaid by Ipsa, which – far from spotting its own error – was alerted to the mistake by Mr Miller himself.
The watchdog sent the MP a letter "apologising unreservedly for this mistake", yet listed Mr Miller on its website under the heading "repayments of expenses claimed".
The MP, who is chairman of the Commons science and technology select committee, was abroad yesterday and could not be contacted.
Sir George Young, the Commons leader, attacked Ipsa's performance, describing it as "at best distracting and, at worst, impeding MPs from doing their job".
A defiant Sir Ian Kennedy, the watchdog's chairman, said MPs should "celebrate" the work of the organisation, which was set up in the wake of the 2009 expenses scandal.
