Three MPs and peer charged over expenses
Updated on 05 February 2010
Labour MPs Elliot Morley, David Chaytor and Jim Devine, together with Conservative peer Lord Hanningfield, have been charged over their expenses claims. Cathy Newman reports.
The expenses saga has moved from parliament to criminal courts.
For months, outraged voters have been saying MPs' expenses were criminal. Now, finally, three MPs and one lord have been charged with offences which could send them to jail.
All are accused under thre theft act. The four have been charged with offences of false accounting arising from their claims for parliamentary expenses.
The MPs involved are former minister and MP for Scunthorpe Elliott Morley, Bury North MP David Chaytor and Livingston's Jim Devine. Conservative peer Lord Hanningfield, leader of Essex County Council, is also charged.
The Tory peer has resigned his position as a frontbench Conservative business spokesman in the House of Lords.
The four have released a joint statement which reads: "We are clearly extremely disappointed that the DPP has decided to instigate proceedings against us.
"We totally refute any charges that we have committed an offence and we will defend our position robustly. We are confident of our position and have been advised by eminent QCs.
"We maintain that this is an issue that should be resolved by the parliamentary commissioner who is there to enforce any breach of the rules.
"Clearly parliament's system of expenses is utterly discredited, but we believe there has been a complete inconsistency of approach to different individual cases.
"In defending ourselves we will continue to co-operate fully with parliamentary and legal authorities."
Mr Devine, who had already been banned from standing as a Labour candidate at the forthcoming general election, earlier said he is "astonished and devastated" to be charged.
At a special news conference earlier, Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer said: "Lawyers representing those who have been charged have raised with us the question of parliamentary privilege."
Announcing the charges under the Theft Act, Mr Starmer said that one further case was still being investigated, while there was insufficient evidence to bring charges against Labour peer Lord Clarke of Hampstead.
Files on six parliamentarians accused of the worst excesses in the second homes expenses scandal were passed by police to the Crown Prosecution Service in November and December.
Today's announcements by the CPS follow the damning verdict on MPs' expenses by Sir Thomas Legg, who conducted an audit of all claims made in recent years.
He condemned the system as "deeply flawed". Hundreds of MPs were ordered to repay a total of £1.12 million.
