13 Oct 2009

UK expense scandal flares

8:19 am on 13 October 2009

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is engulfed in a fresh row over Parliamentary expenses after an independent reviewer asked him and other MPs to repay thousands of pounds of excessive claims.

Mr Brown says he will himself repay £12,415 of claims for cleaning and gardening after he was found to have exceeded maximum annual limits during the past five years.

Mr Brown and opposition Conservative leader David Cameron have both attacked abuse of the system and have proposed reforms to clean up Parliament.

Mr Cameron says he has been asked for more details about a house mortgage payment, but has not been asked to repay any money.

Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg says he's repaid £910 in gardening claims.

A number of MPs have said they will step down at the next election because of the fallout from the scandal.