Gordon Brown to repay expenses in wake of claims scandal

Oct 12, 2009, 17:02 GMT

London - Prime Minister Gordon Brown was informed Monday that he would have to repay more than 12,000 pounds (19,000 dollars) in expenses claimed for cleaning, gardening and maintenance at his second home, his office said.

The repayment request followed an independent audit of expenses submitted by all members of parliament (MPs) over the past five years in the wake of this summer's scandal over exaggerated claims.

While the claims made by Brown, and many other MPs, were within the parliamentary rules at the time, the independent auditor, Thomas Legg, set retrospective annual limits on what he believed should have been claimed for specific services.

He said that any claim over 2,000 pounds a year for cleaning or 1,000 pounds for gardening was excessive and should be repaid.

As a result, Brown is due to return a total of 12,415 pounds in relation to cleaning and gardening, and for a painting and decorating bill that was inadvertently submitted twice.

Brown's office stressed that legal advisers had made clear that Legg's findings did not amount to a breach of the rules.

'Mr Brown has always supported this process and will cooperate fully and make the necessary repayment,' his parliamentary office said.

Brown has vowed to clear up the outdated expenses system and said that MPs found to have been in breach of the rules could go to prison.

'Mr Brown looks forward to condemning the discredited old system to the history books,' the spokesman said.