Scottish MP faces expenses claims

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Scottish MP Michael Connarty charged expenses for furniture for his second home in London which was delivered to his constituency home, it is claimed.

The Linlithgow and East Falkirk MP is the latest to have expenses details published by the Daily Telegraph.

The newspaper has listed items which the Labour MP bought in Scotland, such as beds and furniture.

Mr Connarty told the Daily Telegraph he believed the expenses information it had published was stolen property.

He said the information was being used to benefit the paper, which he claimed was involved in a criminal act.

Mr Connarty claimed more than £23,000 in the year 2007/08.

The newspaper said Mr Connarty sold his London flat to fellow Scottish MP Jim Devine.

Constituency home

It said Mr Connarty also sold some of the contents of the flat to the MP for Livingston, then claimed for new furnishings at a new second home in London.

Mr Devine reclaimed the sum he had paid for the items as his second home expenses.

The Daily Telegraph went on to allege that Mr Connarty bought furnishings in Scotland which were delivered to his constituency home, but were claimed as second home expenses.

Excluding all travel costs, Mr Connarty claimed £156,207 in allowances between 2007 and 2008, making him the fifth highest claiming MP in the UK.

He claimed a maximum of £23,083 to help pay for living costs in London - away from his main home.

In addition Mr Connarty claimed £27,259 on travel costs, including £13,384 on airfares.

In 2004/05, Mr Connarty claimed over £20,000 in second home expenses.

In 2005/06 and 2006/07, his claim was over £21,000 before the claim for 2007/08 of £23,083.