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MP Fraser poised to leave Commons | |
(21 minutes later) | |
A Conservative MP whose expenses claims were highlighted in the Daily Telegraph has said he will be standing down at the next general election. | A Conservative MP whose expenses claims were highlighted in the Daily Telegraph has said he will be standing down at the next general election. |
Christopher Fraser, MP for South West Norfolk, says he will quit for personal reasons to care for his ill wife. | Christopher Fraser, MP for South West Norfolk, says he will quit for personal reasons to care for his ill wife. |
The newspaper said Mr Fraser had claimed £1,800 in public money to buy more than 200 trees in his garden. | The newspaper said Mr Fraser had claimed £1,800 in public money to buy more than 200 trees in his garden. |
Fellow Tory MP Julie Kirkbride and Labour's Margaret Moran have already announced their departures on Thursday. | Fellow Tory MP Julie Kirkbride and Labour's Margaret Moran have already announced their departures on Thursday. |
'Great sadness' | |
Mr Fraser is the eighth Tory MP to decide not to defend their seat since the furore over parliamentary expenses began nearly three weeks ago. | |
A number have been forced out by the party leadership after making expense claims deemed to be unacceptable. | |
My wife's ongoing health problems....have made it difficult to juggle my family life with my duties as an MP Christopher Fraser Kirkbride and Moran to step down | |
But Mr Fraser said his own decision to leave Parliament had "nothing to do" with his expenses. | |
He said he had been considering his position for some time due to his family circumstances and had decided, with "great sadness", not to stand again. | |
"My wife's ongoing health problems....have made it difficult to juggle my family life with my duties as an MP," he told the Lynn News newspaper. | |
According to the Daily Telegraph, Mr Fraser claimed £1,800 in public money for buying 215 trees and marking out the boundary of his second home in his constituency. | |
He had also faced questions in the constituency about the revelation that he had earmarked a property in the Dorset as his main home. | |
Mr Fraser said he had been open about his claims, which were within the rules, and that he had submitted them to an internal Tory panel for scrutiny. | |
Mr Fraser was elected to represent his present constituency in 2005, having previously served as MP for Mid Dorset and Poole between 1997 and 2001. |
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