Labour suspends fraud charge MPs

The three Labour MPs facing criminal charges over their expenses claims were been suspended from the party today.

David Chaytor, Elliot Morley and Jim Devine are being prosecuted on several counts of false accounting.

A Labour spokesman said today they had been “administratively” suspended and would lose the whip in Parliament.

In a statement, Labour said: ``The Labour Party's general secretary has today suspended David Chaytor, Jim Devine and Elliot Morley's membership of the Labour Party in light of the serious allegations against them.

“They had already been barred from standing for Parliament as Labour candidates.

“The decision follows a formal process which included representations from the Chief Whip and consultations with party officials over the weekend and means the three MPs have been suspended from the whip and cannot attend any Labour Party meetings.”

The move came as Tory leader David Cameron sought to outflank Gordon Brown on the expenses issue.

Mr Cameron has already withdrawn the Conservative whip from Lord Hanningfield, who is also facing charges of false accounting.

In a speech today, he hit out at the “disgusting sight” of the Labour MPs claiming parliamentary privilege in an attempt to avoid prosecution for expenses abuses.

He accused the Prime Minister of helping to create the culture at Westminster which led to the expenses scandal and the collapse of public confidence in politics.

Mr Cameron has asked shadow leader of the House Sir George Young to draft a Parliamentary Privilege Act which would clarify the rules and prevent the principle being misused.

The three Labour MPs vowed to put up a robust defence after their charges were detailed by Britain's Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer on Friday.

They argue that they should have been dealt with by the Commons authorities rather than the police.

Mr Starmer said the MPs’ lawyers had already indicated they were considering using parliamentary privilege as a defence.

Commons Leader Harriet Harman insisted today that she was “completely satisfied” that parliamentary privilege did not apply to cases like theft or fraud.

“The criminal law applies to MPs just the same as it does to everyone else,” she told the BBC, adding that Mr Starmer appeared to think the same.

Ms Harman also warned Mr Cameron against making comments that prejudiced any of the expenses cases coming before the courts.

“He’s got to be very careful what he says or his comments might actually jeopardise the trial, and nobody wants to see that happen,” she added.

Mr Morley, a former minister and the MP for Scunthorpe, is alleged to have dishonestly claimed a total of £30,428 (€34,662) more than he was entitled to in second home expenses.

Mr Chaytor, the Bury North MP, faces charges that he wrongly claimed more than £18,000 (€20,500) in rent and £1,950 (€2,220) for IT services.

Livingston MP Mr Devine is alleged to have dishonestly claimed £3,240 (€3,690) for cleaning services and £5,505 (€6,270) for stationery.

They will appear at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court – a few hundred yards from Parliament – on March 11. If found guilty, they could face jail sentences of up to seven years.