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| Expenses leak man defends actions | Expenses leak man defends actions |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| The man who gave details of MPs' expenses to the Daily Telegraph has insisted that Parliament will benefit from their publication. | The man who gave details of MPs' expenses to the Daily Telegraph has insisted that Parliament will benefit from their publication. |
| Ex-SAS officer John Wick, who passed the data on from an anonymous source, said he had "no regrets" about exposing the expenses system's "rotten core". | Ex-SAS officer John Wick, who passed the data on from an anonymous source, said he had "no regrets" about exposing the expenses system's "rotten core". |
| He added: "Parliament will be a better place, society will be a better place." | He added: "Parliament will be a better place, society will be a better place." |
| Mr Wick spoke as more MPs were drawn into the row, including shadow business secretary Jonathan Djanogly. | Mr Wick spoke as more MPs were drawn into the row, including shadow business secretary Jonathan Djanogly. |
| Saturday's Telegraph reported that the Tory frontbencher claimed £5,000 for a set of automatic gates for his home and nearly £13,000 for gardening. | |
| Mr Djanogly has said he will repay £25,000 of the £77,104 he has claimed in total. | |
| The paper also turned the spotlight on Labour MP Khalid Mahmood for allegedly claiming £1,350 for a stay in a five-star west London hotel with his girlfriend. | |
| 'A marker down' | 'A marker down' |
| Mr Wick said he felt compelled to release the expenses information because the official version that was due to be published in July had lots of details censored. | Mr Wick said he felt compelled to release the expenses information because the official version that was due to be published in July had lots of details censored. |
| He said the public had a right to know about MPs' affairs given how much information the government wanted to collect about ordinary citizens. | He said the public had a right to know about MPs' affairs given how much information the government wanted to collect about ordinary citizens. |
| The protective classification given to [the expenses details] was described to me... as offering the same protection as a wet paper bag John Wick Archbishop enters expenses row Tory MP claims £5,000 for gates MacKay to stand for reselection | The protective classification given to [the expenses details] was described to me... as offering the same protection as a wet paper bag John Wick Archbishop enters expenses row Tory MP claims £5,000 for gates MacKay to stand for reselection |
| "Sometimes a marker has to be put down," he said. "The public's put a marker down. It's good." | "Sometimes a marker has to be put down," he said. "The public's put a marker down. It's good." |
| Mr Wick did not comment on whether the Telegraph paid for the information, but insisted it was not stolen. | Mr Wick did not comment on whether the Telegraph paid for the information, but insisted it was not stolen. |
| It was, he said, "an unregistered copy" obtained "as a result of lax and unprofessional security procedures used in the House of Commons". | It was, he said, "an unregistered copy" obtained "as a result of lax and unprofessional security procedures used in the House of Commons". |
| "The protective classification given to this project was described to me... as offering the same protection as a wet paper bag," he said. | "The protective classification given to this project was described to me... as offering the same protection as a wet paper bag," he said. |
| Mr Wick admitted he did fear the consequences of his actions, but said "sometimes you've just got to step out". | Mr Wick admitted he did fear the consequences of his actions, but said "sometimes you've just got to step out". |
| The BBC's political correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti said the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service had said Mr Wick would not face any charges as the information is not a threat to public safety and is in the public interest. | The BBC's political correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti said the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service had said Mr Wick would not face any charges as the information is not a threat to public safety and is in the public interest. |
| Mr Wick, who served in the SAS during the 1970s, now works with a City of London firm that advises insurance companies on how to manage their risk. | Mr Wick, who served in the SAS during the 1970s, now works with a City of London firm that advises insurance companies on how to manage their risk. |
| Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Canterbury has warned that the ongoing exposure of expenses details is a risk to Britain's democracy. | Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Canterbury has warned that the ongoing exposure of expenses details is a risk to Britain's democracy. |
| 'Witch-hunt' complaint | 'Witch-hunt' complaint |
| Writing in the Times, Dr Rowan Williams said: "The continuing systematic humiliation of politicians itself threatens to carry a heavy price in terms of our ability to salvage some confidence in our democracy." | Writing in the Times, Dr Rowan Williams said: "The continuing systematic humiliation of politicians itself threatens to carry a heavy price in terms of our ability to salvage some confidence in our democracy." |
| His comments come after Tory MP Nadine Dorries complained of a "McCarthy-style witch-hunt" for MPs. | His comments come after Tory MP Nadine Dorries complained of a "McCarthy-style witch-hunt" for MPs. |
| The latest series of expenses allegations published in Saturday's Telegraph include: | The latest series of expenses allegations published in Saturday's Telegraph include: |
| Northern Ireland Minister Paul Goggins allowing a university friend to live rent-free in a home paid for by the taxpayer | Northern Ireland Minister Paul Goggins allowing a university friend to live rent-free in a home paid for by the taxpayer |
| Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin's use of £50,000 in expenses to pay his sister-in-law rent. | Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin's use of £50,000 in expenses to pay his sister-in-law rent. |