MP claimed expenses <u>after</u> admitting fraud

The jailed former MP Eric Illsley continued to claim several thousand pounds from the public purse after admitting fiddling his expenses. He pleaded guilty on 11 January to fraud totalling £14,000, but did not resign from the Commons until 8 February, two days before he was imprisoned for a year. He was paid £6,766 for claims submitted in January and February, including £2,253 for photocopier hire, £2,302 to rent an office in his Barnsley Central constituency, and £19.95 for food and travel.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, the expenses watchdog, said he was entitled to make the claims until the moment he stopped being an MP – and it had no power to claw back the cash.

Ipsa yesterday released details of £3.2m of expenses payments to MPs over the first two months of 2011.

David Cameron was reimbursed £404.89, Nick Clegg £6,679.55 and Ed Miliband £1,303.68. Eighty-four MPs were refused a total of £4,633 of claims.