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Short mortgage claim 'excessive' Short mortgage claim 'excessive'
(40 minutes later)
Former Labour Cabinet minister Clare Short was paid more than £8,000 of taxpayers' money to which she was not entitled, the Daily Telegraph has said.Former Labour Cabinet minister Clare Short was paid more than £8,000 of taxpayers' money to which she was not entitled, the Daily Telegraph has said.
She is said to have been paid the full cost of a mortgage for two and a half years despite being entitled to charge only for the interest on it. She is said to have been paid the cost of a mortgage between late 2003 and 2006 when only entitled to interest.
The MP told the BBC she made an "honest mistake" but had paid the money back in 2006 as soon as it was brought up. The MP told the BBC she made an "honest mistake" and had paid the money back in 2006 as soon as it was brought up.
The paper says it is also to publish allegations about a serving minister. It comes as the revelations about expenses saw former Labour minister Elliot Morley suspended from the party.
The MP for Birmingham Ladywood resigned from her Cabinet role as international development secretary over the Iraq War and now sits as an independent. Conservative MP Andrew MacKay also resigned as aide to David Cameron over an "unacceptable" expenses claim.
It comes as part the latest round of revelations in the Daily Telegraph about MPs' expenses. The Telegraph also says Justice Minister Shahid Malik claimed the maximum amount for second homes over three years.
Minister suspendedMinister suspended
Ms Short is said to have paid back £8,436.36 when the error was pointed out by the Commons Fees Office in 2006. Ms Short, MP for Birmingham Ladywood resigned from her Cabinet role as international development secretary over the Iraq War and now sits as an independent.
She told the BBC: "I think they [Daily Telegraph] are just trying to smear everybody, it was an honest mistake, the fees office picked it up. She is said to have paid back £8,436.36 when the error on mortgage payments on the property designated as her second home in Birmingham, was pointed out by the Commons Fees Office in 2006.
Ms Short told the BBC: "I think they [Daily Telegraph] are just trying to smear everybody, it was an honest mistake, the fees office picked it up.
"Now they're just trying to smear everybody and make out everybody's cheating, but this thing happened years ago.""Now they're just trying to smear everybody and make out everybody's cheating, but this thing happened years ago."
In the paper, she is quoted as saying: "When I found out that I had been making a mistake, I was embarrassed and irritated that it took the fees office so long to pick this up. She added that the stories "may increase the vote for the BNP, make people cynical about perfectly good people who have worked in their communities to help people".
In the paper, Ms Short is quoted as saying: "When I found out that I had been making a mistake, I was embarrassed and irritated that it took the fees office so long to pick this up.
Mr Malik denies any wrongdoing
"I paid what was due and corrected future claims. I think this is an example of the fees office working as it should, if a little belatedly.""I paid what was due and corrected future claims. I think this is an example of the fees office working as it should, if a little belatedly."
Earlier on Thursday, former minister Elliot Morley was suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party after claiming £16,000 expenses for a mortgage he had already paid off. The report on Mr Malik suggest he claimed a total of £66,827 in second homes allowances.
According to the Telegraph he pays a below market rent of less than £100 per week for a main home in his Dewsbury constituency while billing taxpayers for a second home in London.
He has not yet been contacted by the BBC but the Telegraph says he denied any wrongdoing.
Mr Malik's second home claims are said to have included £2,500 for a cinema system, which was later reduced by half by fees office, and £65 for court summons for non payment of council tax.
He told the paper: "With hindsight of course I would have acted differently on these items..."
He added that faced with "subjective rules and a guidance team that knew the limits for items, but chose not to share them... it was inevitable that almost every MP would have items questioned at some point".
Earlier on Thursday, former minister Mr Morley was suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party after claiming £16,000 expenses for a mortgage he had already paid off.
Mr Morley said the claim had been a "mistake" due to "sloppy accounting" and said he had paid the money back.Mr Morley said the claim had been a "mistake" due to "sloppy accounting" and said he had paid the money back.
The MP for Scunthorpe, has referred himself to Parliamentary Standards Commissioner John Lyon in an effort to clear his name.The MP for Scunthorpe, has referred himself to Parliamentary Standards Commissioner John Lyon in an effort to clear his name.
Mr Morley has not had the whip withdrawn, which would effectively expel him from the Parliamentary party - but Labour chief whip Nick Brown made it clear that he faced expulsion if he failed to clear his name.Mr Morley has not had the whip withdrawn, which would effectively expel him from the Parliamentary party - but Labour chief whip Nick Brown made it clear that he faced expulsion if he failed to clear his name.
Conservative MP Andrew MacKay also resigned as aide to David Cameron over an "unacceptable" expenses claim. Conservative MP Andrew MacKay meanwhile resigned as aide to Mr Cameron after he claimed the second home allowance on his London address, while his wife, Tory MP Julie Kirkbride, claimed it for another home.
Between them they claimed 98.5% of the total allowance available to them since 2004.
He has said he will pay back an amount decided by the Tory panel, adding: "Due to an error of judgement in accepting advice from the fees office I have let a lot of people down."