Edinburgh MP to pay back cash claimed for flat legal costs

Published on Wednesday 13 May 2009 09:57

EDINBURGH Labour MP Mark Lazarowicz today said he was paying back more than £2,500 which he claimed in Commons expenses for legal costs connected with his London flat.

He said the claim had been "entirely within the existing parliamentary rules" but he realised it would "look high" and he believed it was "only reasonable" he should pay a big part of the costs.

It is understood the claim relates to extending the leasehold for the flat he bought in London when he was elected to Westminster in 2001.

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Mr Lazarowicz, MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, said he would pay back approximately 2675 – half the cost of claims he made for legal fees and other professional fees.

He said: "The payment in question was entirely within the existing parliamentary rules, and indeed I had checked with the parliamentary fees office before I made the claim and they had given specific written approval that it was in order before I requested the payment.

"Nevertheless it is clear to me that the payment would look high to many people, and that it would only be reasonable for me to repay a substantial part of the bill.

"I hadn't realised quite how much the legal bill was until I checked my expenses and added them up yesterday.

Mr Lazarowicz said he had never claimed any expenses for his Edinburgh home.

He said: "I know people have said to me, or behind my back, that work that has been done in my (Edinburgh] home has been public-funded, but that is not the case.

"That's why it is so important that we get our reputations cleaned up and out of the mire.

He added that MPs had to clean up their act if they were to avoid further damage to politics as a whole.