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| Police action urged over expenses | Police action urged over expenses |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| MPs who claimed for "phantom" mortgages on expenses should be investigated by the police and prosecuted if warranted, Tory leader David Cameron has said. | |
| His call came as Labour's Elliot Morley became the latest MP to announce he would stand down at the next election. | His call came as Labour's Elliot Morley became the latest MP to announce he would stand down at the next election. |
| Mr Morley has apologised for mortgage interest payment claims but said he had made a "genuine mistake". | Mr Morley has apologised for mortgage interest payment claims but said he had made a "genuine mistake". |
| Mr Cameron said MPs who had committed a crime with their expenses claims should "face the full force of the law". | Mr Cameron said MPs who had committed a crime with their expenses claims should "face the full force of the law". |
| Thirteen MPs have announced their intention to stand down since details of expenses claims have been published. | Thirteen MPs have announced their intention to stand down since details of expenses claims have been published. |
| Meanwhile, a new opinion poll has suggested that Labour is being badly damaged by the expenses scandal in the run-up to next week's European elections. | Meanwhile, a new opinion poll has suggested that Labour is being badly damaged by the expenses scandal in the run-up to next week's European elections. |
| 'Force of law' | 'Force of law' |
| Mr Morley had claimed for mortgage interest payments of £16,000 - 18 months after the mortgage was paid off. | Mr Morley had claimed for mortgage interest payments of £16,000 - 18 months after the mortgage was paid off. |
| He has apologised and repaid the money, blaming "sloppy accounting". | He has apologised and repaid the money, blaming "sloppy accounting". |
| Two other Labour MPs - David Chaytor and Ben Chapman - have also admitted "errors" in claiming for mortgages that had already been paid off. | Two other Labour MPs - David Chaytor and Ben Chapman - have also admitted "errors" in claiming for mortgages that had already been paid off. |
| And Tory MP Bill Wiggin blamed the Commons Fees Office for not correcting his repeated "mistake" when he claimed for a mortgage on his constituency home rather than his London second home. | And Tory MP Bill Wiggin blamed the Commons Fees Office for not correcting his repeated "mistake" when he claimed for a mortgage on his constituency home rather than his London second home. |
| Scotland Yard is currently considering whether to launch criminal inquiries into any potentially fraudulent claims. | Scotland Yard is currently considering whether to launch criminal inquiries into any potentially fraudulent claims. |
| In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Mr Cameron said: "If people have broken the law in claiming expenses, like mortgage payments for mortgages that don't exist, should they be subject to the full force of the law? Yes of course they should. | In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Mr Cameron said: "If people have broken the law in claiming expenses, like mortgage payments for mortgages that don't exist, should they be subject to the full force of the law? Yes of course they should. |
| "I've said it's not for me to call in the police but the police know what the law is and if they feel it's been broken they should be able to look at that without fear or favour." | "I've said it's not for me to call in the police but the police know what the law is and if they feel it's been broken they should be able to look at that without fear or favour." |
| The last two weeks have been traumatic for me and I have to think of my family and my health, both of which have suffered Elliot Morley Morley resignation: statement in full | The last two weeks have been traumatic for me and I have to think of my family and my health, both of which have suffered Elliot Morley Morley resignation: statement in full |
| Mr Morley made his announcement about stepping down on Friday night, following a meeting with local Labour Party officials in his Scunthorpe constituency. | Mr Morley made his announcement about stepping down on Friday night, following a meeting with local Labour Party officials in his Scunthorpe constituency. |
| He said the pressure had been affecting his family and his health and insisted the decision was his own, made after consultation with his family and constituency officers. | He said the pressure had been affecting his family and his health and insisted the decision was his own, made after consultation with his family and constituency officers. |
| In a statement the former farming minister said the last two weeks had been "traumatic". | In a statement the former farming minister said the last two weeks had been "traumatic". |
| "I have to think of my family and my health, both of which have suffered," he said. | "I have to think of my family and my health, both of which have suffered," he said. |
| "Nor do I want in any way to undermine the strong position the Labour Party has in this constituency in what will be a crucial election." | "Nor do I want in any way to undermine the strong position the Labour Party has in this constituency in what will be a crucial election." |
| Mr Morley added that he had made a "genuine mistake" and insisted that he believed he would be cleared of any wrong-doing. | Mr Morley added that he had made a "genuine mistake" and insisted that he believed he would be cleared of any wrong-doing. |
| Poll | Poll |
| The latest MPs named in the Telegraph on Saturday include Tory frontbencher Eleanor Lang, who told the paper that she was not obliged to pay capital gains tax on the profit she made from the sale of her second home, because it was within the rules. | The latest MPs named in the Telegraph on Saturday include Tory frontbencher Eleanor Lang, who told the paper that she was not obliged to pay capital gains tax on the profit she made from the sale of her second home, because it was within the rules. |
| And Tory MP Humfrey Malins told the Telegraph that he spent two nights a week in his taxpayer-funded second home in London, in which his children have stayed rent-free. | And Tory MP Humfrey Malins told the Telegraph that he spent two nights a week in his taxpayer-funded second home in London, in which his children have stayed rent-free. |
| Meanwhile a Populus poll in Saturday's Times newspaper provides gloomy reading for Prime Minister Gordon Brown, with Labour is at its lowest ever national rating following the expenses expose. | Meanwhile a Populus poll in Saturday's Times newspaper provides gloomy reading for Prime Minister Gordon Brown, with Labour is at its lowest ever national rating following the expenses expose. |
| According to the poll, carried out on 26-27 May on a sample of 1,001 adults, Labour trailed in third place after the UK Independence Party with just 16% of respondents prepared to vote for them in next week's European elections. | According to the poll, carried out on 26-27 May on a sample of 1,001 adults, Labour trailed in third place after the UK Independence Party with just 16% of respondents prepared to vote for them in next week's European elections. |
| BBC political editor Nick Robinson said: "If that [projection] was to be repeated in next Sunday's results, it would have serious consequences for Gordon Brown and raise serious questions over how and whether he can help his party recover." | BBC political editor Nick Robinson said: "If that [projection] was to be repeated in next Sunday's results, it would have serious consequences for Gordon Brown and raise serious questions over how and whether he can help his party recover." |