Speaker under fire as MPs lose secrecy battle

Politics

Saturday, May 17, 2008

The House of Commons Speaker, Michael Martin, was accused yesterday of presiding over an "appalling waste of taxpayers' money" after parliamentary officials lost a court battle to keep MPs' expenses secret.

The High Court refused to stop the publication of details of spending on their second homes by 14 leading politicians, including Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and David Cameron.

The Commons has spent three years fighting demands for disclosure of the expenses under freedom of information legislation, arguing that revealing MPs' addresses would pose a security risk.

The Members Estimate Committee, chaired by Mr Martin, has until Tuesday to decide whether to appeal against the court ruling. If it decides not to, details of the expenses will be published by Friday.

Commons officials have already been ordered to pay at least £33,500 in costs but the final bill from the protracted legal battle could reach between £100,000 and £200,000.

Mark Field, the Tory MP for the Cities of London and Westminster, said: "It is an absolute disgrace that an appeal was launched. It is an appalling waste of taxpayers' money." Douglas Carswell, the Tory MP for Harwich, said the Speaker should "set a timetable for his departure".

Members' expenses have come under sustained criticism in recent months. But on Wednesday, the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, John Lyon, dismissed a complaint about the taxpayer-funded taxi journeys of Mr Martin's wife, Mary. Mr Lyon said the £4,000 spent by Mrs Martin was "reasonable" and within the rules.

The High Court ruled that full disclosure of MPs' expenses, including receipts, was necessary because the Information Tribunal had called the system of allowances for second homes "deeply flawed" and lacking in accountability.

It said the disclosure was in the public interest and argued that politicians' addresses could be tracked down by determined people. At stake, the judges said, was "public confidence in our system at its very pinnacle, the House of Commons itself".

Heather Brooke, a freedom of information campaigner, said: "This ruling will wrest control from the old boys' club and put it back where it belongs – with the constituents. All honest and hard-working MPs will welcome this opportunity to prove their openness to the electorate.

"What is disappointing is that it took three years of concerted effort to counter the relentless opposition from the House of Commons Commission and Speaker Michael Martin, who used taxpayers' money throughout to block the very information needed for an informed electorate."

Mr Brown's spokesman said: "The Prime Minister has made clear he is relaxed about the publication of his expense details but this is a matter for the House authorities."

The shadow Chancellor, George Osborne, who is not covered by the ruling, said: "I am very happy for people to see how I have spent the allowances."