It has been revealed that a Tory minister and three other MPs have claimed hundreds of pounds of driving fines on expenses despite it being against the rules. They are now being asked to repay the money. One MP who claimed money for the fines is Amanda Solloway, a minister who used to serve under Suella Braverman at the Home Office. The Derby North MP claimed £80 on a fine issued by Transport for London (TfL). North Dorset MP Simon Hoare is also among the four. He claimed four times for an £80 driving fine issued in November 2019. Mr Hoare is also chair of the Northern Ireland affairs committee in the Commons. Another Tory MP, Bim Afolami, whose constituency is Hitchin and Harpenden claimed for two £80 fines issued in December 2021. An SNP MP for Angus, Dave Doogan, also claimed back £160 issued in January 2022. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), who approve and pay expenses, have now admitted the payments were wrongfully made. A spokesperson for the watchdog said: "MPs are not allowed to claim for penalty charges and fines under IPSA rules. IPSA’s checks failed in some cases to identify these claims and some of them were paid. "We will contact MPs and ask them to repay, where appropriate. We have changed our process to ensure any future such claims are not paid, and will reiterate the scheme rules to MPs."
