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Twenty six MPs named and shamed for refusing to pay back expenses debts to the taxpayer

Twenty-six current and former MPs who had expenses debts written off after failing to repay them have been ‘named and shamed’ this morning.

The MPs, including Conservative ministers Tobias Ellwood and Edward Timpson, failed to repay bills of up to £230 owed to the taxpayer.

In total, the Parliamentary watchdog in charge of monitoring MPs’ expenses was forced to write off £2,105.43 over the last financial year.

The debts range from £309.15 owed by the former Labour MP Joe Benton – who stood down at the last election – to the £7.50 in parking costs yet to be repaid by the Tory backbencher Stewart Jackson.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority decided not to take the MPs to court to recover the debts because it would have cost taxpayers even more.

However, David Cameron this morning waded into the row and demanded that any Tory minister with outstanding debts must repay the cash.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3229053/Twenty-six-MPs-named-shamed-refusing-pay-expenses-debts-taxpayer.html#ixzz3lKmMx8LG

Lou Collins
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