Expenses.
Labour acts quickly to avoid expenses scandal (4th
June 1997)
Clive Soley, chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party, promised an
inquiry after some MPs in marginal seats claimed that they had been asked to make
contributions out of the office costs allowance towards the salaries of their party
agents.
Officials are to issue fresh guidance, aimed particularly at new members, to ensure that public money provided for Parliamentary duties is not inadvertently diverted into Labour Party coffers.
The party leadership has been embarrassed by suggestions that it was conniving in an illegal "sting" operation that would have blighted Tony Blair's commitment to clean up politics and embroiled Labour in "sleaze" allegations. But a Labour spokesman said there was no evidence that any money had been wrongly claimed. He blamed "overzealous" party officials for giving a false impression that the salaries of local agents could be recouped from the allowance.