MPs block expenses chief from new job

THe former head of the Commons expenses watchdog has accused MPs of a ‘squalid vendetta’ after they blocked his appointment to a new job.

Sir Ian Kennedy said a ‘rump’ of MPs opposed his attempts to ‘clean up’ the expenses rules.

He was responding to a vote on Tuesday where MPs rejected his appointment as an electoral commissioner.

Sir Ian, 76, who was head of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, had already been recommended by a panel.

The Westminster party leaders did not oppose his appointment, but MPs voted against it by 77 to 46.

Sir Ian told the BBC that the independent recommendation had been ‘simply hijacked’ by objecting MPs, adding that the process needs looking at if it can be ‘put at risk by what I would describe as a squalid vendetta’.

Ruling him out on age grounds would have been illegal, he said, adding that the reason for MPs’ objections ‘had to be something else’ with most comments relating to Ipsa.

He said: ‘I and my colleagues cleaned up the mess after the MPs’ expenses scandal, and the system we put in place…reflects the interest of the taxpayer and not just those of MPs.

‘There remains a rump of MPs who simply want their old system back. An unaccountable and somewhat disreputable system.’

He also said that the MPs’ tactics were ‘not what one expected of elected representatives’.