Brown: 'Blears behaviour unacceptable'
Updated on 19 May 2009
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has raised fresh doubts about the future of Communities Secretary Hazel Blears.
As the expenses debacle continues to rock Westminster, Mr Brown branded her behaviour "totally unacceptable". His comments came amid speculation that he is planning to eject Ms Blears from the Cabinet in a reshuffle over the coming months.
Last week, Ms Blears apologised and handed over £13,000 after the Daily Telegraph revealed she had designated a London flat as her second home to claim Commons allowances and told the taxman it was her main residence to avoid paying capital gains tax.
The Prime Minister - who has rejected demands for a General Election to draw a line under the expenses scandal - stressed Ms Blears had not broken the rules or the law with her arrangements, but went on: "It was totally unacceptable behaviour. I do not support it.
"Hazel Blears has paid the money back. She has done so on the advice of me and other people. But she has not broken the law, she has not broken the rules."
However, there was better news for Ms Blears when her constituency party ruled out deselecting her.
A statement issued on behalf of the secretary, chairman and treasurer of Salford and Eccles CLP said: "Hazel Blears will be our Labour candidate at the next General Election. We have full confidence in her."
Meanwhile, Mr Brown was asked about the case of Luton South MP Margaret Moran - who has been backed by her constituency party despite repaying £22,500 claimed for dry rot treatment to her husband's home in Southampton. He said: "What happened was totally unacceptable."
And the Committee on Standards and Privileges has announced that it has authorised parliamentary standards commissioner John Lyon to hold inquiries into Labour MPs David Chaytor and Eliot Morley - who both claimed expenses against mortgages which had already been paid off.
However, the probes will not be launched until after Scotland Yard has decided whether to open a criminal investigation.
A spokesman for the committee said: "The committee has agreed with the commissioner that he should not proceed with these inquiries until the Metropolitan Police, with the CPS, has completed its consideration of whether criminal inquiries should be instigated into these matters."
Both MPs referred themselves to the commissioner after allegations about their claims surfaced.
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