Expenses row MP to quit seat

THE expenses scandal engulfing British politics claimed its biggest Conservative scalp last night after a former aide to David Cameron announced he would be stepping down as an MP.

Andrew MacKay, the MP for Bracknell, declared he would not seek re-election at the next general election, claiming the furore over his expenses would act as a "distraction".

"I understand why people are angry," he said. "I hope my decision to step down goes some way to showing my constituents how sorry I am."

MacKay and his wife Julie Kirkbride, another Tory MP, claimed second homes allowance on their London flat, which Kirkbride declared as her main residence so that she could claim expenses on their Worcestershire residence.

The couple used their expenses to pay £1,000 a month in interest on the mortgage for their Westminster apartment, and a further £900 a month to pay off the mortgage on their family home.

This "double-dipping" arrangement meant they were charging the taxpayer for two "second" homes.

The couple also claimed a total of £1,800 for each other's "spousal" travel costs.

He said last night: "Following a conversation with David Cameron this morning, I have decided to step down as candidate for Bracknell."

In further revelations last night, the Sunday Telegraph reported that many of the more than 200 MPs who employ relatives were able to increase their expenses as a result.

They include the senior Scottish LibDem MP Malcolm Bruce, who charged the taxpayer for the cost of two homes because his wife, who works as his office manager, works from home.

MPs usually can only charge for a second home, but between 2006 and 2008, Bruce charged £60,000 on the cost of his London flat, while also charging £3,100 towards the cost of electricity, heating and cleaning at his main constituency home in Torphins, Aberdeenshire.

It also emerged last night that Derek Conway, the Tory MP who lost the Conservative Whip after he employed his son at Westminster, despite there being no evidence that he did any work, claimed taxpayers' money on a family house in Northumberland after telling Commons officials he did parliamentary work there. The home is 330 miles away from his Commons seat of Old Bexley and Sidcup in south-east London.

Kirkbride was also forced to defend herself after the News of the World disclosed that her brother, Ian Kirkbride, stayed at the taxpayer-funded Worcestershire home. She said the brother stayed there to help look after her son.

Meanwhile, Tory activist Daniel O'Docherty, 21, who appeared on social networking site Facebook wearing an Adolf Hitler moustache was yesterday expelled from the party.