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"Criminal charges could be brought against MPs who break new rules on expenses and allowances.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said he wants the new Parliamentary Standards Authority Bill, published on Tuesday, on the statute book by the time MPs break for the summer recess next month.
The Bill will create a new independent watchdog to regulate MPs' expenses, backed up by criminal sanctions. It is expected to have the power to fine, suspend or expel errant MPs from the House of Commons.
Mr Brown said: "There are indeed criminal offences in this Bill so that if an MP misleads deliberately or if an MP does something like, without reasonable excuse, fails to register a relevant interest, that is a criminal offence and that would then be investigated by the police."
I wonder how the reality will pan out ... it will be interesting to see what penalties may [theoretically] be imposed for infractions, and how vigorously transgressors will be persued.
Despite talk of 'jail time' for offenders; nothing much, and not very would be my [cynical] guess. But the bill should be an 'interesting' read.
MPs could face criminal charges over expenses - Yahoo! News UK
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said he wants the new Parliamentary Standards Authority Bill, published on Tuesday, on the statute book by the time MPs break for the summer recess next month.
The Bill will create a new independent watchdog to regulate MPs' expenses, backed up by criminal sanctions. It is expected to have the power to fine, suspend or expel errant MPs from the House of Commons.
Mr Brown said: "There are indeed criminal offences in this Bill so that if an MP misleads deliberately or if an MP does something like, without reasonable excuse, fails to register a relevant interest, that is a criminal offence and that would then be investigated by the police."
I wonder how the reality will pan out ... it will be interesting to see what penalties may [theoretically] be imposed for infractions, and how vigorously transgressors will be persued.
Despite talk of 'jail time' for offenders; nothing much, and not very would be my [cynical] guess. But the bill should be an 'interesting' read.
MPs could face criminal charges over expenses - Yahoo! News UK