Tory MP Peter Bone's expenses under investigation by watchdog

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/apr/11/tory-mp-peter-bone-expenses-investigation

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Another Tory MP is facing an investigation into his second home expenses days after Maria Miller resigned as culture secretary after obstructing a parliamentary inquiry and overclaiming £5,800.

Peter Bone, a prominent backbench Eurosceptic, is being investigated by Kathryn Hudson, the independent standards commissioner, who originally recommended that Miller repay £45,000 before her report was watered down by the Commons standards committee.

Bone said he had done nothing wrong and had always sought approval from the authorities for his claims. The MP for Wellingborough, who was on Friday launching an unofficial EU referendum in parts of Northamptonshire with colleague Philip Hollobone, was recently told he would face no charges after a police investigation into allegations of benefit fraud over the funding of residential care for his mother-in-law.

However, the news that his expenses are under scrutiny will be a headache for David Cameron while there is still significant public anger over Miller's wrong claims for mortgage interest.

In a further blow to the Tory leadership, it is understood that Hudson has concluded her report into Patrick Mercer, a former shadow home officer minister accused of failing to declare thousands of pounds paid to him by a fake lobbying company set up by a BBC journalist.

Mercer, MP for Newark, resigned the party's whip after accepting £4,000 from undercover reporters posing as lobbyists. He reported himself to the commissioner for standards after being accused of failing to declare £2,000 of the money within parliamentary rules and appearing to offer to secure a Westminster security pass for the lobbyist. Cameron acknowledged that the anger over the Miller case is still very raw and claimed he understood more action was needed.

Miller clung on to her job for five days after she was asked to repay money and apologise, but stood down following a public backlash and rebellion among MPs from within her own party.

She and Cameron claim it was her own decision but have not denied reports that some friendly advice was delivered via a Downing Street emissary suggesting that she should resign.