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| Expenses clean-up bill is passed | Expenses clean-up bill is passed |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A bill aimed at cleaning up Parliament after the MPs' expenses scandal has become law after getting Royal Assent. | A bill aimed at cleaning up Parliament after the MPs' expenses scandal has become law after getting Royal Assent. |
| Just weeks after the Parliamentary Standards Bill was introduced, it is now on the statute book after a series of concessions by the government. | Just weeks after the Parliamentary Standards Bill was introduced, it is now on the statute book after a series of concessions by the government. |
| The bill, which sets up an independent body to authorise MPs' expenses, was criticised by many MPs and peers for being rushed through. | The bill, which sets up an independent body to authorise MPs' expenses, was criticised by many MPs and peers for being rushed through. |
| Ministers said it was vital the bill became law before the summer recess. | Ministers said it was vital the bill became law before the summer recess. |
| They said speedy approval was imperative for rebuilding public confidence in how Parliament works as MPs prepare to leave Westminster for their constituencies. | They said speedy approval was imperative for rebuilding public confidence in how Parliament works as MPs prepare to leave Westminster for their constituencies. |
| But Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said it was insufficient to restore trust in Britain's "rotten" political system. | |
| When the bill was introduced it included provisions for three new criminal offences for MPs, a wide-ranging legally binding code of conduct for MPs and was expected to apply eventually to peers as well as MPs. | When the bill was introduced it included provisions for three new criminal offences for MPs, a wide-ranging legally binding code of conduct for MPs and was expected to apply eventually to peers as well as MPs. |
| 'Emasculated' | |
| But as it returned to the Commons on Tuesday - two of the proposed offences have been dropped, as has the code of conduct while peers have been assured "categorically" it would not apply to them. | But as it returned to the Commons on Tuesday - two of the proposed offences have been dropped, as has the code of conduct while peers have been assured "categorically" it would not apply to them. |
| And a move to allow MPs' words in the Commons - now protected by Parliamentary privilege - to be used against them in court was rejected after a surprise Commons defeat for the government. | And a move to allow MPs' words in the Commons - now protected by Parliamentary privilege - to be used against them in court was rejected after a surprise Commons defeat for the government. |
| Jack Straw responds to criticism of the legislation | Jack Straw responds to criticism of the legislation |
| In Tuesday's debate on amendments made in the House of Lords, which were approved without a vote, Justice Secretary Jack Straw faced accusations the bill had been rushed through for "public relations purposes" and had since been "emasculated". | In Tuesday's debate on amendments made in the House of Lords, which were approved without a vote, Justice Secretary Jack Straw faced accusations the bill had been rushed through for "public relations purposes" and had since been "emasculated". |
| Mr Straw said "improvements" had been made to the bill and the three main parties had backed plans for a new Parliamentary Standards Authority but they had to work "from a standing start". | Mr Straw said "improvements" had been made to the bill and the three main parties had backed plans for a new Parliamentary Standards Authority but they had to work "from a standing start". |
| He said it had been a difficult process and he would have been condemned if he had resisted making changes. | He said it had been a difficult process and he would have been condemned if he had resisted making changes. |
| "I think we have achieved a very much better measure as a result," he said. | "I think we have achieved a very much better measure as a result," he said. |
| In a later interview, Mr Straw said the new authorisation process for expenses, combined with full transparency in the disclosure of claims, would mean past abuses could not happen again. | In a later interview, Mr Straw said the new authorisation process for expenses, combined with full transparency in the disclosure of claims, would mean past abuses could not happen again. |
| "Thankfully the expenses scandals will be a thing of the past," he told the BBC. | "Thankfully the expenses scandals will be a thing of the past," he told the BBC. |
| He said any MP "daft" enough to fiddle their expenses in future would be severely punished. | |
| Shadow Commons leader Alan Duncan said the bill had arrived "in a state of some confusion" and he was pleased "significant" concessions had been made. | Shadow Commons leader Alan Duncan said the bill had arrived "in a state of some confusion" and he was pleased "significant" concessions had been made. |
| Nothing really has been done to fix the rotten state of British politics Nick CleggShadow Commons leader The new rules for MPs explained | Nothing really has been done to fix the rotten state of British politics Nick CleggShadow Commons leader The new rules for MPs explained |
| "It was obvious that ministers had been required at very short notice to create a bill that had to match the prime minister's press release, initially at least, no matter what the consequences." | "It was obvious that ministers had been required at very short notice to create a bill that had to match the prime minister's press release, initially at least, no matter what the consequences." |
| The Lib Dems said the government's enthusiasm for a radical reform of the political system in the wake of the expenses scandal had been short-lived. | The Lib Dems said the government's enthusiasm for a radical reform of the political system in the wake of the expenses scandal had been short-lived. |
| Nick Clegg said it "beggared belief" that MPs should be about to go on a 82-day recess with so little achieved in the way of real reforms to the House of Lords, party funding and new mechanisms for sacking dishonest MPs. | Nick Clegg said it "beggared belief" that MPs should be about to go on a 82-day recess with so little achieved in the way of real reforms to the House of Lords, party funding and new mechanisms for sacking dishonest MPs. |
| He had called for Parliament to continue sitting until such measures had been introduced. | He had called for Parliament to continue sitting until such measures had been introduced. |
| "It[the bill] is a fig leaf to cover up the government's abject failure to deliver on the promises it made to the British people at the height of the expenses scandal that it would sort out British politics for good," he said. |