Ex Labour MPs and Tory peer lose expenses ruling

Ex Labour MPs and Tory peer lose expenses ruling

Three former MPs and a peer will stand trial over allegations of expenses fraud after a judge ruled they could not claim parliamentary privilege to stop prosecution.



Lawyers for Elliot Morley, David Chaytor, Jim Devine and Lord Hanningfield argued only Parliament could decide any action against them.

But Mr Justice Saunders said there was no bar to them going on trial.

The four all deny charges of false accounting over their expenses.

If found guilty of charges brough under the Theft Act, they face a maximum sentence of seven years' imprisonment.

In his ruling Justice Saunders' said there was no "logical, practical or moral justification" for them using parliamentary privilege to prevent prosecution.