Having a wonderful time...

Having a wonderful time...





The four parliamentarians have been summoned to appear at Westminster magistrates courts on 11 March.

The maximum sentence for false accounting under the Theft Act is seven years in prison.

First they claimed that they were all getting tarred with the same brush. And now that each individual case has been dealt with on individual merit...

"We maintain that this is an issue that should be resolved by the parliamentary commissioner who is there to enforce any breach of the rules. Clearly parliament's system of expenses is utterly discredited, but we believe there has been a complete inconsistency of approach to different individual cases."

Expenses MPs to defy courts over prosecutions

"Three MPs said today that they planned to dispute the right of the courts to try them over their expenses claims after they learnt that they are to face prosecution.

The Labour MPs Elliot Morley, David Chaytor and Jim Devine, as well as Lord Hanningfield, a Tory frontbencher and leader of Essex County Council, face up to seven years in jail for theft. They are expected to stand trial later this year after a nine-month police investigation.

All four have been charged under the Theft Act 1968 and will appear in court at 2pm on March 11. They are the first MPs to face legal action by prosecutors over their expenses.

The three Labour MPs announced today that they would fight the charges by seeking to claim parliamentary privilege over their expenses activities. This has enraged other MPs who fear that this will suggest one rule for MPs and the another for the rest of the country".

Judge: You have been charged with theft, how do you plead?

Defendants: Not guilty, your honour, because it is a parliamentary privilege to steal the taxpayers money.

Judge: Ha, ha, ha!