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Morley suspended by Labour party Morley suspended by Labour party
(40 minutes later)
Labour MP Elliot Morley has been suspended from the party after he admitted claiming £16,000 for a mortgage he had already paid off. Labour MP Elliot Morley has been suspended from the party after he admitted claiming £16,000 expenses for a mortgage he had already paid off.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown made the announcement as he launched Labour's European election campaign.Prime Minister Gordon Brown made the announcement as he launched Labour's European election campaign.
Mr Morley said the expenses claim was a "mistake" due to "sloppy accounting" and said he had paid the money back. Mr Morley called the claim a "mistake" resulting from "sloppy accounting" and said he had paid the money back.
Conservative MP Andrew MacKay earlier quit as aide to David Cameron over an "unacceptable" expenses claim.Conservative MP Andrew MacKay earlier quit as aide to David Cameron over an "unacceptable" expenses claim.
It comes after the latest round of revelations in the Daily Telegraph about MPs' expenses.It comes after the latest round of revelations in the Daily Telegraph about MPs' expenses.
Explaining his decision, Mr Brown said: "Where there is irregularity now it has got to be dealt with immediately. Where standards have been transgressed and the evidence has been shown to be there, action has got to be taken.Explaining his decision, Mr Brown said: "Where there is irregularity now it has got to be dealt with immediately. Where standards have been transgressed and the evidence has been shown to be there, action has got to be taken.
"Where disciplinary action is necessary, it will and will immediately be taken.""Where disciplinary action is necessary, it will and will immediately be taken."
Expulsion threat
He said he had decided to suspend Mr Morley from the Parliamentary Labour Party because of the "serious" nature of the allegations against him.He said he had decided to suspend Mr Morley from the Parliamentary Labour Party because of the "serious" nature of the allegations against him.
I deeply apologize for such sloppy accounting in a very loose and shambolic allowance system but there is nobody to blame but myself and I take full responsibility for this Elliot Morley, Labour MP Health minister to repay £41,709 Tory MP quits post over expenses In full: Elliot Morley statement Profile: Elliot Morley
He added: "If there are any other disciplinary cases where we have to take action we will take action immediately."He added: "If there are any other disciplinary cases where we have to take action we will take action immediately."
Mr Brown was speaking in Derbyshire at the launch of Labour's campaign for the 4 June elections to the European Parliament and local council, which threatened to be overshadowed by the expenses controversy.
Minutes before Mr Morley's suspension was announced, Labour's Chief Whip Nick Brown confirmed his case would be discussed by the party's ruling National Executive Committee in a meeting next Tuesday, sparking speculation that he may be expelled from the party altogether.
Nick Brown has also spoken to Labour MP Fabian Hamilton, who claimed thousands of pounds in second home allowances for his family home in Leeds while listing his mother's property in London as his main residence.
'Sloppy accounting'
The Leeds North East MP told the Telegraph he spent the majority of his time in the house owned by his mother until her death in 2005.
Mr Morley has referred himself to Parliamentary Standards Commissioner John Lyon in an effort to clear his name.
According to The Telegraph, Mr Morley claimed £800 a month for a Scunthorpe property for 18 months after the mortgage ended.
In a statement, Mr Morley said he did his accounts in "yearly bundles" and he had "simply let the established payment run as it has for some years", adding that he "did not take sufficient notice of my accounting".
"I accept that I have made a mistake in this case and have rectified it in full. I deeply apologise for such sloppy accounting in a very loose and shambolic allowance system but there is nobody to blame but myself and I take full responsibility for this," he added.
'Flipping' claim
The Telegraph also alleges Mr Morley rented out a London flat designated as his main residence to another Labour MP, Ian Cawsey, a close friend and former special adviser.
Mr Cawsey named the property as his second home, allowing him to claim £1,000 a month to cover the rent which he was charged by Mr Morley.
In November 2007, the newspaper claims, Mr Morley "flipped" his designated second home from his Scunthorpe property to his London home and for four months the two men claimed expenses on the same property.
People in Elliot Morley's constituency react to his expenses revelations
The Commons fees office stopped the arrangement. Mr Cawsey said he had been unaware of Mr Morley's financial arrangements.
Mr Morley issued a lengthy explanation of his arrangement with Mr Cawsey in which he denied any wrongdoing and said he used the money from his Labour colleague to reduce his claim to the taxpayer.
He said: "Since 1997 I have only charged Mr Cawsey a notional rent which has also been declared to the finance department and deducted from my additional costs allowance [second homes allowance]."