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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Accused MP 'naive about expenses' | Accused MP 'naive about expenses' |
| (about 18 hours later) | |
| One of the MPs set to face charges over his expenses has said he was "naive", but did not gain any personal financial benefit from his claims. | One of the MPs set to face charges over his expenses has said he was "naive", but did not gain any personal financial benefit from his claims. |
| Jim Devine, Labour MP for Livingston, is accused of dishonestly claiming £3,240 for cleaning services and £5,505 for stationery using false invoices. | Jim Devine, Labour MP for Livingston, is accused of dishonestly claiming £3,240 for cleaning services and £5,505 for stationery using false invoices. |
| But he told Channel 4 News he "made a mistake" when moving money around after advice from an unnamed Labour whip. | But he told Channel 4 News he "made a mistake" when moving money around after advice from an unnamed Labour whip. |
| Elliot Morley, David Chaytor and Lord Hanningfield will also face charges. | Elliot Morley, David Chaytor and Lord Hanningfield will also face charges. |
| On Friday, the director of public prosecutions said the three Labour MPs and one Tory peer would be charged under the Theft Act with false accounting. If found guilty they face a maximum sentence of seven years' imprisonment. | On Friday, the director of public prosecutions said the three Labour MPs and one Tory peer would be charged under the Theft Act with false accounting. If found guilty they face a maximum sentence of seven years' imprisonment. |
| All four deny the allegations and say they will defend themselves "robustly". | All four deny the allegations and say they will defend themselves "robustly". |
| 'Acceptable' | 'Acceptable' |
| Mr Devine told Channel 4 News the allegations against him had come "totally out of the blue". | Mr Devine told Channel 4 News the allegations against him had come "totally out of the blue". |
| Have I benefitted one pound financially? No I haven't Jim Devine, MP for Livingston Devine 'devastated' by charges Charged leader of council resigns | Have I benefitted one pound financially? No I haven't Jim Devine, MP for Livingston Devine 'devastated' by charges Charged leader of council resigns |
| He said the money claimed for cleaning was to cover a regular bill of £180 a month, but that he was told by the Commons Fees Office to make a single claim, in advance, for £3,240 for the full year ahead, even though the work had not yet been done. | He said the money claimed for cleaning was to cover a regular bill of £180 a month, but that he was told by the Commons Fees Office to make a single claim, in advance, for £3,240 for the full year ahead, even though the work had not yet been done. |
| Addressing the second allegation against him, Mr Devine explained this by saying he had moved £5,505 from his stationery budget to his staffing budget to pay someone for work and had then provided a receipt which "came from a printer's". | Addressing the second allegation against him, Mr Devine explained this by saying he had moved £5,505 from his stationery budget to his staffing budget to pay someone for work and had then provided a receipt which "came from a printer's". |
| "I was advised by a whip that I could do this... who said that you could move money about like this. I was told that was acceptable," he said. | "I was advised by a whip that I could do this... who said that you could move money about like this. I was told that was acceptable," he said. |
| Asked if he had "invented" a receipt for stationery when the actual expense was for staffing, Mr Devine said: "It was not invented. | Asked if he had "invented" a receipt for stationery when the actual expense was for staffing, Mr Devine said: "It was not invented. |
| CPS CHARGES LAID Elliot Morley - two charges over £30,000 of mortgage interest claimsDavid Chaytor - accused of dishonestly claiming £1,950 for IT services and also £18,000 in rentJim Devine - accused of claiming £3,240 for cleaning services and £5,505 for stationeryLord Hanningfield - faces six charges of dishonestly submitting expense claims CPS charges in full Profile: The four facing charges | CPS CHARGES LAID Elliot Morley - two charges over £30,000 of mortgage interest claimsDavid Chaytor - accused of dishonestly claiming £1,950 for IT services and also £18,000 in rentJim Devine - accused of claiming £3,240 for cleaning services and £5,505 for stationeryLord Hanningfield - faces six charges of dishonestly submitting expense claims CPS charges in full Profile: The four facing charges |
| "I would argue it was not a lie. I would argue that this was allowed at the time. | "I would argue it was not a lie. I would argue that this was allowed at the time. |
| "If I have done anything wrong it is that I have been naive and I have listened to the wrong people. | "If I have done anything wrong it is that I have been naive and I have listened to the wrong people. |
| "Have I benefitted one pound financially? No I haven't and that I think is the difference between saying I'm a criminal and saying I've made a mistake." | "Have I benefitted one pound financially? No I haven't and that I think is the difference between saying I'm a criminal and saying I've made a mistake." |
| Mr Devine said he had been given no training before taking office and "no advice on how to deal with accounts". | Mr Devine said he had been given no training before taking office and "no advice on how to deal with accounts". |
| The four politicians will not be arrested but will be sent a summons to turn up on 11 March at City of Westminster magistrates court. | The four politicians will not be arrested but will be sent a summons to turn up on 11 March at City of Westminster magistrates court. |
| They insist the issue should have been resolved by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and there had been "a complete inconsistency of approach to different individual cases". | They insist the issue should have been resolved by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and there had been "a complete inconsistency of approach to different individual cases". |
| Overnight stays | Overnight stays |
| Former minister Mr Morley, MP for Scunthorpe, faces charges relating to a total of £30,000 of mortgage claims which, it is alleged, were "in excess of that to which he was entitled" and covered a period when there was no mortgage on the property. | Former minister Mr Morley, MP for Scunthorpe, faces charges relating to a total of £30,000 of mortgage claims which, it is alleged, were "in excess of that to which he was entitled" and covered a period when there was no mortgage on the property. |
| Mr Chaytor, MP for Bury North, is accused of dishonestly claiming £1,950 for IT services and further sums of £12, 925 and £5,425 relating to rent on properties which he and his mother allegedly owned. | Mr Chaytor, MP for Bury North, is accused of dishonestly claiming £1,950 for IT services and further sums of £12, 925 and £5,425 relating to rent on properties which he and his mother allegedly owned. |
| Elliot Morley, David Chaytor, Jim Devine and Lord Hanningfield face charges | Elliot Morley, David Chaytor, Jim Devine and Lord Hanningfield face charges |
| Paul White - the Conservative peer Lord Hanningfield and leader of Essex County Council - is accused of dishonestly submitting claims "for expenses to which he knew he was not entitled" - including overnight stays in London. | Paul White - the Conservative peer Lord Hanningfield and leader of Essex County Council - is accused of dishonestly submitting claims "for expenses to which he knew he was not entitled" - including overnight stays in London. |
| He stepped down as council leader on Friday and as a Tory frontbench spokesman. | He stepped down as council leader on Friday and as a Tory frontbench spokesman. |
| The Conservatives said Mr Cameron had also asked the party's leader in the Lords, Lord Strathclyde, to suspend the Conservative whip from Lord Hanningfield. | The Conservatives said Mr Cameron had also asked the party's leader in the Lords, Lord Strathclyde, to suspend the Conservative whip from Lord Hanningfield. |
| Mr Chaytor and Mr Morley were suspended from the parliamentary Labour party last May. | Mr Chaytor and Mr Morley were suspended from the parliamentary Labour party last May. |
| The expenses saga continues to rock Westminster - on Thursday 372 MPs were ordered to repay money totalling £1.1m, claimed in second homes expenses over four years. | The expenses saga continues to rock Westminster - on Thursday 372 MPs were ordered to repay money totalling £1.1m, claimed in second homes expenses over four years. |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was "very angry about what has happened" and called the criminal charges "very serious". | Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was "very angry about what has happened" and called the criminal charges "very serious". |