MP defends advice expenses claims

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Britain's most expensive MP Eric Joyce has defended himself after it emerged he paid a "very close friend" thousands of pounds for policy advice.

The MP for Falkirk gave contracts worth £8,000 to Ross Martin's firm, Networks Central, in 2005/06. No other firms were invited to bid for the work.

The Labour MP also paid rent for his constituency office through Mr Martin.

Mr Joyce said the contracts, which were paid out of "incidental costs", were for work carried out by a think tank.

He described Mr Martin as a "very close friend" and admitted he was best man at his wedding.

'Meaningful thinking'

But Mr Joyce defended his decision to pay him for policy advice, saying he "was a really good guy who leads a think tank in Scotland".

He said: "Scotland has this great policy leadership within the UK in terms of public policy, and yet what it lacks is a meaningful think tank base.

"The Centre for Scottish Public Policy is doing quite well, which Ross Martin happens to lead.

"I think there's room for some meaningful thinking about public policy in a Scottish context."

He said Mr Martin had also worked for the Scottish Government, Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

However, the money was paid from Mr Joyce's incidental costs, which are costs associated with running an office, rather than from the £87,000 he claimed for staff costs.

Mr Joyce was dubbed Britain's most expensive MP, after claiming allowances for 2007/08 of more than £187,000.

The Labour MP also told the BBC that Mr Martin was an agent for the landlord of his Falkirk constituency office.

"That happened to be the place that was a really good deal for the taxpayer, my office is in a great, central location and was within the market rate," he said.

His comments came as some other Scottish MPs announced they were returning money in an attempt to restore public trust.

Nine MPs north of the border have so far repaid cash, ranging from £37 to £12,000 from the International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander.

The move comes a day after the publication of MPs expenses claims, although many sections were blacked out by the Commons' authorities.