North East MPs appeal against expense repayments
It seems some of our politicians past and present are amongst those who have appealed against demands to repay their expenses.
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The Tyne Bridge MP David Clelland isn't named but .
Sir Thomas Legg had queried his mortgage arrangements after Mr Clelland bought out his partner's share of their London flat in 2004.
But he has now cleared those arrangements and confirmed they did not add "any additional burden to the public purse."
The news came just days after he announced he was standing down at the election.
There are few details about the others listed in the Telegraph though.
Stockton North's Frank Cook is mentioned. .
The list also includes the Berwick MP, Sir Alan Beith, and Sunderland South's retiring Labour MP, Chris Mullin, but there are no details of what they're appealing about.
Also on there is .
As Joyce Quin she was MP for Gateshead East and Washington West until 2005, and it seems this appeal dates back to her time as an MP rather than as a member of the House of Lords.
I'll keep you up to date if I get more details.
Moving from the past to the future, I'm now regularly encountering some of those who are aspiring to become MPs for the first time in 2010.
And despite the expenses crisis, and the damage that's done to the standing of politicians, they seem as enthusiastic as ever to take office.
Many indeed have a refreshing enthusiasm. Let's hope it lasts!
The Moss week:
Watching: The Diary of Anne Frank. I missed the Ö÷²¥´óÐã adaptation earlier this year so have caught the repeats on Ö÷²¥´óÐã4. Gruelling, devastating but absolutely superb.
Listening to: In this Light and On This Evening by The Editors. Yes, I know they sound like Joy Division, but they've also gone all Gary Numan on this record and as someone whose musical awakening happened in the 80s, I'm a sucker for a synth.
Reading: . Just to show you there's nothing new about dark political manoeuvrings. These involve Thomas Cromwell et al at the court of Henry VIII.
I'm Richard Moss, the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's Political Editor for the North East and Cumbria. Welcome to my irreverent - but hopefully insightful - northern take on reporting politics for Look North and the Politics Show.
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