MP invited to attend meeting

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Campaigners against under fire Conservative MP Julie Kirkbride have invited her to attend a public meeting in her Worcestershire constituency.

The Bromsgrove MP and her husband and fellow MP Andrew Mackay have been criticised for claiming second home allowances on different properties.

The Julie Must Go! group said it wanted to present her with a petition at a public meeting in the town on Sunday.

Her husband, MP for Bracknell, has said he will not fight the next election.

Campaigners against Ms Kirkbride said they had collected 3,500 signatures calling for her to step down but hoped to have gained more than 10,000 by the weekend.

Fresh claims

They said this would be the equivalent of her majority when she retained her seat at the last General Election in 2005, beating Labour's David Jones by 24,387 votes to 14,307.

Campaigners were in the town centre on Saturday gathering signatures from constituents.

The planned public meeting is expected to be held in the town's Sanders Park.

Ms Kirkbride faced fresh allegations on Sunday when the News Of The World claimed she allowed her brother Ian to live rent free in her apartment in Bromsgrove, which is designated as her second home.

She said he stayed both there and in her London home "from time to time" to look after her son and she did not claim expenses for him.

Mr MacKay, who announced earlier he would leave Parliament at the next general election, claimed the second homes allowance on the couple's London flat which Ms Kirkbride declared as her main residence.

Ms Kirkbride was unavailable for comment.