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Morley suspended by Labour party Brown suspends mortgage claim MP
(40 minutes later)
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. Elliot Morley has been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour 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 called the claim a "mistake" resulting from "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 resigned 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.
"Where disciplinary action is necessary, it will and will immediately be taken."
Expulsion threatExpulsion 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. Mr Brown said he was "very angry about what has happened" and he had decided to suspend Mr Morley from the Parliamentary Labour Party because of the "serious" nature of the allegations against him.
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 Elliot Morley, Labour MP class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/8047410.stm">Health minister to repay £41,709 class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/8049614.stm">Tory MP quits post over expenses class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/8050239.stm">In full: Elliot Morley statement class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/8049592.stm">Profile: Elliot Morley He 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."
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. Mr Morley has not had the whip withdrawn but Labour chief whip Nick Brown made it clear that he faced expulsion if he failed to clear his name. He has also been suspended as the prime minister's climate envoy but remains chairman of the energy and climate select committee.
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. 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 Elliot Morley, Labour MP class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/8047410.stm">Health minister to repay £41,709 class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/8049614.stm">Tory MP quits post over expenses
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. Nick Brown said his case would be discussed by the party's ruling National Executive Committee in a meeting next Tuesday but told BBC News he wanted to give Mr Morley a "breathing space" while the allegations were investigated.
The chief whip said Mr Morley had first come to him "a week or two weeks ago" to say there might be a problem with his expenses, but he denied he should have acted sooner, as he did not know the full details at that stage.
'Sloppy accounting''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, who is MP for Scunthorpe, has referred himself to Parliamentary Standards Commissioner John Lyon in an effort to clear his name.
Mr Morley has referred himself to Parliamentary Standards Commissioner John Lyon in an effort to clear his name. According to the Telegraph, he claimed £800 a month for a Scunthorpe property for 18 months after the mortgage ended.
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".
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". He added: "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.
"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. We've been slugging this matter out for days and not got anywhere - we've failed as a political class Nick Clegg, Lib Dem leader class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/8050239.stm">In full: Elliot Morley statement class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/8049592.stm">Profile: Elliot Morley
'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.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.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.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.The Commons fees office stopped the arrangement. Mr Cawsey said he had been unaware of Mr Morley's financial arrangements.
Tory MP quits
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.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]." People in Elliot Morley's constituency react to his expenses revelations
Chief Whip Nick Brown has also spoken to Labour MP Fabian Hamilton, who claimed thousands of pounds in second home allowances for his home in Leeds while listing his mother's property in London as his main residence.
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 Brown said the expenses scandal had done "extensive damage to the reputation of Parliament" - but he accused the Conservatives of blocking a cross-party agreement on reforming expenses and of "trying to play politics for all it is worth" over the issue.
He said there would not be wholesale reform until Sir Christopher Kelly, chairman of the committee on standards in public life, completed his report later in the year.
Tory leader David Cameron is setting up his own scrutiny panel to investigate Tory expense claims.
HAVE YOUR SAYI am utterly appalled, disgusted and horrified by this fiasco.Teresa Ross, Eastleigh Send us your comments
The first casualty of the clampdown was his own Parliamentary aide, Andrew MacKay, who quit his post over what the party said were "unacceptable" expenses claims.
He claimed the full second home allowance on his London address, while his wife, Tory MP Julie Kirkbride, claimed the full allowance for another home.
He has said he will pay back an amount decided by the Tory panel, adding: "Due to an error of judgement in accepting advice from the fees office I have let a lot of people down."
Mr Cameron has urged Gordon Brown show leadership over the expenses issue and push through reforms of the system.
But Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has written to Mr Cameron and Mr Brown to say it is time all the parties agree to accept the Kelly enquiry recommendations in full.
He said: "We've been slugging this matter out for days and not got anywhere," adding: "We've failed as a political class."
He said the latest developments in the expenses saga were "a further deterioration of trust in public politics".