MP'S EXPENSES NEED MAJOR OVERHAUL

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 31st Mar 2009

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg has today written to Gordon Brown and David Cameron seeking an urgent meeting to reform the system of MPs' expenses.

Prospective MP for Truro and Falmouth Terrye Teverson backed Mr Clegg's plans adding: "While it is a very few MPs who seem to abuse the system, it is imperative that all three main party leaders get together to look at reforming the current system."

"While many people in Truro and Falmouth struggle to pay their mortgages it is completely unacceptable for politicians to be flouting the rules. It gives anyone in public life a bad name and that is bad for our whole system of parliamentary democracy."

The full text of the letter is below:

I am writing to you to propose that our parties work together to agree an urgent overhaul of MPs' expenses. The recent scandals make it clear we cannot continue with the current system any longer.

The upcoming inquiry by the Committee on Standards in Public Life will not report this side of a general election. This is far too long to wait. We owe it to the citizens of this country to ensure a fair deal for taxpayers before then.

The move to a principles-based expenses system is welcome but I believe several further reforms are needed to rebuild public confidence. Two in particular would be achievable immediately. First, in the name of transparency, every penny of public money claimed by MPs should only be reimbursed on production of a receipt: taxpayers have the right to know how their money is being spent. Second, the present rules on second homes are incomprehensible to millions of people who have to commute each day: no London MP should be able to claim for a second home.