11th hour bid to block MPs expenses being published (UPDATED)

This post is now out of date. See above.

Next Tuesday, every item claimed on expenses by 14 MPs as part of their £23,000 second homes allowance was due to be published. After a ruling by the Information Tribunal, every kitchen refit, television, mortagage payment and housekeeping costs should have been made public. Details of the Additional Costs Allowance for the other 632 were due to follow in October.

This will now almost certainly not happen. The last fortnight has seen a titanic backlash from MPs of all three parties -- and against the legal advice sought by the House of Commons Commission last week -- they will appeal.

MPs say they are furious that they are being asked to disclose their home addresses. They cite the huge security implications, prevelance of nutters, and lengths that MPs have gone to inside Westminster to keep them secure (every piece of mail is screened, for instance). But my suspicion is that this argument is being used as an attempt to block disclosure of everything else.

Last week's private legal advice said there was very little grounds in law for appeal - except over whether home addresses should be made public. This gave the Commission two options: 1. publish the information requested by the Tribunal with the addresses withheld and see if anyone complains (they almost certaintly wouldn't win a complaint). Or 2. Appeal the entire judgement in the High Court.

On Tuesday morning, when the Commission meets to decide, they will opt for option 2, delaying publication of everything. Apparently they didn't go for option 1 because they "didn't want to let 14 MPs hang out to dry".

The battle for full disclosure is far from over.

Comments

[Anne Murphy]

Paul McCartney didn't have a problem with releasing his home addresses. Our MPs have delusions of grandeur.