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The MPs' Expenses controversies is the battle over release of information regarding the expenses claimed by UK Members of Parliament, and the subsequent controversy and reaction when details of expenses claims have been released. Starting in January 2005, journalist Heather Brooke made a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for details of MP's expenses claims, which eventually led to the Information Commissioner ordering the release of some information on 15 June 2007. This instruction was objected to by MPs, who the month before had voted on a bill that would exempt them from Freedom of Information laws. This bill was subsequently defeated in the House of Lords. A Freedom of Information Tribunal ruled in February 2008 that parliament had to release information on 14 MPs, but this was subsequently appealed against at the last minute. The High Court subsequently ruled on 16 May 2008 that the expenses should be revealed and on 23 May the details were made public. A motion to exempt parliament from aspects of the Freedom of Information Act was finally dropped on 21 January 2009, and details of all MPs expenses claims were due to be published on 1 July. However The Daily Telegraph acquired detailed information, which had supposedly been touted around various newspapers, and started publishing details on 8 May. The Telegraph justified the use of this material, as it contended that the information due to be released would have omitted key information about MPs switching their second-home nominations.
In March 2008, the John Lewis List was released, which gave guidelines on what MPs could claim for, based on prices in department store John Lewis. Throughout the ongoing legal battles regarding the release of information, there have been a variety of exposes regarding individual MP's expenses claims. Derek Conway employed and paid his son over £40,000 whilst he was at university. Caroline Spelman paid her nanny for two years out of her staffing allowance. Jacqui Smith designated her main residence her sister's house in order to claim expenses on her constituency home, and it also emerged that she had claimed for pornographic films watched by her husband, Richard Timney.
Legal Battle over Release of Information
Controversy regarding Expenses Claims
John Lewis List
Derek Conway
Caroline Spelman
Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper
Sir Nicholas and Ann Winterton
Jacqui Smith
Geoff Hoon
Alistair Darling
The Daily Telegraph reports
References
- "Expenses details 'intrude' on MPs". The BBC. 2008-02-07. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
- Anil Dawar (2008-05-07). "Timeline: MPs' expenses". The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
- ^ "Expenses: How MP's expenses became a hot topic". The Daily Telegraph. 2009-05-08. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
- "'Lax' MP expenses rules condemned". The BBC. 2008-02-26. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
- Daniel Bentley (2008-03-25). "Expenses disclosure battle headed for High Court". The Independent. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
- "Bid to block MP expenses details". The BBC. 2008-03-25. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
- Robert Verkaik (2008-05-23). "Freedom Of Information: MPs reach end of road in battle over secret expenses". The Independent. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
- "Q&A: MPs' expenses". The BBC. 2008-05-08. Retrieved 2009-05-08.