Expenses workers sworn at and abused by MPs

Published on Thursday 26 August 2010 12:57

Staff working for the new parliamentary expenses watchdog have been repeatedly sworn at and abused by MPs, with one volunteer reduced to tears.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) has recorded ten separate incidents of staff complaining that MPs behaved in an offensive or inappropriate manner since it started work last May.

The details released yesterday do not include the names of the MPs concerned and it is not clear whether some MPs were involved in more than one incident.

They range from MPs telling staff that they were "monkeys" and "f****** idiots" and that the "system is a f****** abortion" to reports of aggressive and intimidating behaviour.

One woman MP told staff "I am going to murder someone today", while a male MP was said to have refused to take part in an Ipsa induction session to explain the new expenses system and to have thrown papers with his personal details at the facilitator.

Another male MP was said to been "very difficult and disruptive" during his induction session, directing his anger towards a volunteer who eventually burst into tears and had to be pulled out by another member of staff.

At that point the MP became "contrite and apologised". Labour MP Denis MacShane, a former Europe minister, confirmed last night that he was the MP concerned.