British junior minister forced to repay €45k as expenses row rumbles on

A BRITISH junior minister announced yesterday he will return more than £40,000 (€44,586) in taxpayer-funded allowances, as the total repaid by MPs caught up in the expenses scandal passed the £100,000 mark.

Health Minister Phil Hope’s move came as Prime Minister Gordon Brown called on MPs to prove themselves “worthy of the public’s trust” by putting right mistakes made over allowances and creating a new system that will be seen as “wholly fair”. The Corby and East Northants MP said he will return £41,709 claimed for furniture and fittings for his second home, in an attempt to restore constituents’ confidence in his integrity.

In a subdued session of Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons, Brown was challenged over his leadership in the expenses affair by David Cameron, who called for all MPs’ claims to be published online.