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Review all MP expenses - Harman All MPs' claims to be scrutinised
(about 3 hours later)
The Commons authorities have been asked to go back over MPs' expenses and order any deemed "excessive" to be paid back. All MPs' receipts over the past four years will be scrutinised for any "irregularities" by an independent group, Gordon Brown has said.
Commons leader Harriet Harman has written to the cross-party committee on MPs' allowances urging it to find out which claims had broken the rules. It follows days of damaging revelations based on leaked receipts MPs' submitted to back up their second homes claims.
She also urged a "moratorium" on new claims until the system is sorted out. Minister Hazel Blears says she will pay capital gains tax on a flat she sold, on which she claimed expenses.
It comes as Tory leader David Cameron said "sorry" for the actions of some of his MPs and ordered them to pay back a string of "excessive" claims. David Cameron and Nick Clegg have both issued new rules to their own MPs about what they should be claiming.
This is a radical move but it is necessary Gordon Brown
Mr Cameron outlined a series of measures he was demanding of his own MPs and said several senior Tories will repay "excessive" expenses claimed - and warned he would expel from the party those who refused.
But Mr Brown told the BBC: "It is not enough for one or two MPs to make announcements here and there."
He said an independent audit was needed and said, if necessary, it could mean repayments being made and disciplinary action being taken against some MPs.
"This is a radical move but it is necessary," Mr Brown said.
He said an independent review of every claim made would help MPs show they are "worthy of public trust".
'Outrage and anger'
It comes as Communities Secretary Hazel Blears says she will pay £13,332 - which would have been due in capital gains tax on a flat she had designated as her second home with Commons authorities.
She said she had acted within the rules but had to recognise public anger on the issue.
"I've heard absolutely the outrage and the anger the public feel about what has been going on."
Earlier Mr Cameron said "sorry" for the actions of some of his MPs and ordered them to pay back a string of "excessive" claims.
He also announced a new "scrutiny panel" to root out abuses - and threatened MPs who broke the rules with expulsion from the party.He also announced a new "scrutiny panel" to root out abuses - and threatened MPs who broke the rules with expulsion from the party.
Ms Harman told the BBC News Channel she had asked the cross-party allowances committee, which meets at 1830 BST, to take action on all MPs, ahead of systematic changes in the system planned for later in the year.
'Flipping'
She said she had asked the committee to consider setting up a "process" to "establish if money has been paid out wrongfully and to arrange for a repayment system".
I have asked the committee to look at the question of seeing whether they can make sure there are clear rules about the nomination of main and second homes Harriet Harman At-a-glance: MP expenses rules 'Appalled' Cameron orders payback
Asked how it could be established that MPs' expenses were "excessive," she said: "There are a set of rules and we want to be sure that if money has been paid out outwith those rules then it's paid back."
She said it was "important not only for public confidence that money shouldn't be paid out outside the rules and not be paid back but it's important for the confidence of the whole house of Commons".
Ms Harman said that she had also asked the committee to look again at the rules on the so-called practices of "flipping" - switching the nominations of MPs' main and second homes in order to increase the amount they can claim in allowances.
She said that she also wanted the committee to ensure that there was "consistency across the piece" in the way the homes were designated for the purposes of parliamentary allowances, capital gains tax, and council tax.
"I have asked the committee to look at the question of seeing whether they can make sure there are clear rules about the nomination of main and second homes," he said.