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Expenses leak man defends actions Expenses leak man defends actions
(about 1 hour 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 further allegations about Tory and Labour politicians' expenses were published in the paper.
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.
He told the BBC that he had acted "credibly and reasonably" but had decided to repay the money because of public anger over expenses.
He said: "I decided - not that I'd done anything wrong, but because of the public dissatisfaction with this whole business, which I share - I would voluntarily give back a significant sum of money. I've also, during this financial year, not claimed a penny."
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
"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.
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
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. 'Credibly and reasonably'
'Witch-hunt' complaint His comments came as further MPs were dragged into the expenses row.
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." The Daily Telegraph reported that shadow business secretary Jonathan Djanogly claimed £5,000 for a set of automatic gates for his home and nearly £13,000 for gardening.
His comments come after Tory MP Nadine Dorries complained of a "McCarthy-style witch-hunt" for MPs. He told the BBC that he had acted "credibly and reasonably", but had decided to repay £25,000 of the £77,104 he has claimed in total because of public anger over expenses.
The latest series of expenses allegations published in Saturday's Telegraph include: Jonathan Djanogly said he had acted 'credibly and reasonably'
Northern Ireland Minister Paul Goggins allowing a university friend to live rent-free in a home paid for by the taxpayer. He said: "I decided - not that I'd done anything wrong, but because of the public dissatisfaction with this whole business, which I share - I would voluntarily give back a significant sum of money. I've also, during this financial year, not claimed a penny."
Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin's use of £50,000 in expenses to pay his sister-in-law rent for the property he uses as his constituency home. 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.
It accused Northern Ireland Minister Paul Goggins of allowing a university friend to live rent-free in a home paid for by the taxpayer.
And it alleged that Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin's used £50,000 in expenses to pay his sister-in-law rent for the property he uses as his constituency home.
The Telegraph also claims the property does not have a mortgage on it, which it says raises questions about the amount of rent charged.The Telegraph also claims the property does not have a mortgage on it, which it says raises questions about the amount of rent charged.
Meanwhile, Ian Gibson, MP for Norwich North, confirmed that he would meet Labour's national executive committee to answer questions about his expenses claims. Meanwhile, Ian Gibson, MP for Norwich North, has confirmed that he will meet Labour's national executive committee to answer questions about his expenses claims.
He was accused of claiming for a flat in which his daughter and her partner lived - he says he shared the flat for a time. He was accused of claiming for a flat in which his daughter and her partner lived. He says he shared the flat for a time.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams has warned that the "continuing systematic humiliation" of MPs threatened to do irreversible damage to public confidence in Britain's democracy.
Writing in the Times, he said: "Many will now be wondering whether the point has not been adequately made."