GORDON BROWN won a series of Commons votes yesterday as MPs approved some initial reforms of their expenses and allowances. But Conservative leader David Cameron claimed the prime minister’s authority was “ebbing away” after a further government climbdown over Mr Brown’s proposed alternative to the controversial £24,000 a year “second home” allowance.
That issue – and the implementation of the reforms approved yesterday – will have to await the report and recommendations of Sir Christopher Kelly’s Committee on Standards in Public Life.
Mr Brown had already abandoned his plan to have MPs vote yesterday on his proposal to replace the second-home allowance with a flat-rate attendance allowance. Faced with a threatened second reversal on the day after Mr Brown’s shock defeat on rules restricting the right of former Gurkha soldiers to settle in the UK, the government yesterday also bowed to pressure and withdrew its attempt explicitly to invite Sir Christopher’s committee to have regard to MPs’ “attendance at Westminster” when formulating an alternative to the second-home allowance.
Under the reforms approved yesterday outer London MPs living within 20 miles of Westminster will no longer receive any form of second-home allowance.
MPs will also have to produce receipts for all expenses, following the abolition of the £25 threshold.
MPs’ staff will be employed centrally by Commons authorities, although staff appointments will remain the personal responsibility of MPs. The chairman of the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee, Sir George Young, said it was illogical for the government to accept his committee’s motion – agreeing to await the Kelly report – and then proceed to yesterday’s votes. Cabinet office minister Liam Byrne claimed that, in doing so, Mr Brown had broken the “deadlock” on issues parliament had previously been unable to resolve. Mr Cameron, however, said the withdrawal of his “big idea” on the attendance allowance marked “another humiliating defeat” for the prime minister.