Resigned: Bracknell MP Andrew MacKay
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MP Andrew MacKay resigns as aide over unacceptable home expenses claims
May 14, 2009
Bracknell MP Andrew MacKay quit from his post as parliamentary adviser to David Cameron because of “unacceptable” expenses claims on homes he shares with his wife, MP Julie Kirkbride, it has emerged.
The top Tory is the first MP to resign amid the expenses row that has engulfed Westminster and prompted outraged reaction from taxpayers.
Mr MacKay and his wife, MP Julie Kirkbride, are alleged to have been claiming for two second homes without having a main home between them.
It is alleged Mr MacKay claimed more than £1,000 a month for a mortgage on his second home in London while Ms Kirkbride was claiming £900 a month as part of her second home allowance on a house in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.
Mr MacKay has never divulged his constituency address, citing security fears over his previous post as Northern Ireland Secretary.
Mr MacKay was senior parliamentary and political adviser to Mr Cameron.
The MP's resignation from his post was sensationally announced this morning - just a day after he told the Bracknell Forest Standard he had "nothing" to fear.
Mr MacKay was unavailable for comment this morning and was not answering calls on his mobile phone.
A spokesman for the Conservative said Mr MacKay's resignation followed an examination of Mr MacKay's parliamentary allowance arrangements to which he voluntarily submitted his ACA claims.
A spokesman for Mr Cameron added: “That examination of Mr MacKay’s past allowances revealed an unacceptable situation that would not stand up to reasonable public scrutiny.
“Although Mr MacKay maintains that those arrangements were agreed by the Fees Office he resigned this morning with immediate effect.
“Mr MacKay has also agreed to appear in front of the Scrutiny Panel to discuss how much of the allowance should be paid back.”
Mr MacKay, who is married to fellow Tory MP Julie Kirkbride, was senior parliamentary and political adviser to David Cameron
Yesterday the Tory politician, who admitted he had claimed £22,575 for his London home last year, insisted there was nothing unreasonable in his expenses claims.
Mr MacKay had also followed Tory Leader Mr Cameron's line and had apologise for the a system that had allowed a colleague to have his moat cleaned.
“There is nothing that I’ve been asked to give back but there are others who have," he said yesterday.
“I have checked through all my expense claims over the past four years and there is nothing that stands out – I am confident there is nothing unreasonable in there at all.”
Mr MacKay added: “What is reasonable and unreasonable is hard to define but it is obvious that taxpayers’ money should not be spent on swimming pools.”
“The system we had used was wrong and we are sorry about that.
“Last year I was well down in the bottom third of MPs based on what I claimed and I am still determined to make more savings in the next financial year.”
Mr Mackay, who has been MP for Bracknell for 25 years, has always insisted his expenses claims were correct when asked by the Bracknell Forest Standard.
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