Another MP Stealing From UK Taxpayers

One of David Cameron's most trusted allies was last night embroiled in the MPs' expenses scandal.

Greg Barker, Conservative climate change minister, made £320,000 in two years by exploiting his generous taxpayer-funded allowances.

The multi-millionaire, who made the money buying and selling a flat in one of London's most prestigious streets, is the first senior Tory to become caught up in the allowances scandal.

Mr Barker - worth a reputed £ 7.4million after selling his stake in an advertising firm - bought the property in Pimlico, Central London for £480,000 in November 2004. He then nominated this as his 'second home', rather than the flat he already owned in nearby Chelsea.

Under the controversial second homes allowance he was permitted to claim back nearly £16,000 from stamp duty as well as legal fees and removals.

He then claimed another £27,928 in mortgage interest payments over the next two years.

In December 2006, the MP for Bexhill and Battle, in Sussex, briefly designated the Chelsea house his second home --where he claimed another £3,492 for mortgage interest - after he left his wife Celeste following his affair with interior designer William Banks-Blaney.

He then moved the 'second home' designation back to the Pimlico flat. In a clear breach of the rules he failed to submit a mortgage statement for four years.

But the lax Commons regime in charge of checking expenses claims approved a payment of £5,360 because of the ' delicacy of the domestic situation'.

In February 2007, he sold the flat for £800,000 - a £320,000 profit.

Mr Barker's spokesman said last night: 'All claims made since 2001 have been entirely legitimate and within the rules and approved by the [Commons] Fees office. His main home, against which he has never claimed expenses, remains in the constituency.'

I want action from Cameron, he can make good here if he gets it right as Brown is sitting on his hands doing sweet nothing but whistling in the wind.

Cameron in my mind should immediately make all Tory MPs involved in serious cases apologise and repay excess monies, whether they like to or not.

To restore faith, serious cases will have to explain themselves, step down and be deselected. If he has the bravery to deal with these serious cases then I for one will applaud the Conservatives. But if they choose not to do anything about it Mr Cameron will take the biggest opportunity handed to him to become a statesman and throw it away.

We know what they have all been up to, on all sides, but I want someone running this country that knows how to take responsibility and not blame everyone else.

If Cameron made an apology to the nation as to the conduct of his party's MPs it will put such a gulf between him and Brown's Labour Party and will put him in good stead with the nation.

Bravery gives results but he has to take action now or he too will be severely affected by this non stop discovery of the fact that MPs are indeed thieves and con men themselves if given a small opportunity.