MP pleased at expenses U-turn
Alistair Burt happy for public to view his allowances.
"Disturbing" plans to make MPs' expenses exempt from the Freedom of Information Act have been shelved after a backlash from the Tories and Lib Dems.
A vote was due to take place today in parliament when MPs were to be asked to consider whether or not their expenses should be kept private.
Both MPs for Bedfordshire, Nadine Dorries and Alistair Burt, had planned to vote against the proposals.
But the plans were shelved on Wednesday following huge public opposition
Before the Government U-turn yesterday, Mr Burt said he felt "disturbed" at Harriet Harman's backpeddling on the High Court ruling to makes MPs' expenses public.
He said: "I was very surprised when I heard what the Leader of the House proposed last week, which I regard as an utter betrayal of the position which finally had been accepted in May last year with a High Court ruling."
Reacting to what had been described as a "humiliating climbdown", Mr Burt said: "I am pleased the government is thinking again about exempting Members of Parliament's expenses from the Freedom of Information Act.
"I think this would have been an unfair move. The public are interested in how MPs spend their allowances and this is going to be discussed in the House of Commons this afternoon.
"I really do think that it would have been wrong to try and hide this from the public and I am glad the Government has decided to think again."
The High Court ruled last year that details of claims made under the second homes allowance, including receipts, should be published in the interests of transparency.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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