Corbyn urged to sack Lords whip over his expenses

JEREMY CORBYN was facing calls to sack one of his most senior figures in the House of Lords last night after questions were raised about his expenses.

Lord Bassam, the party’s chief whip in the upper chamber, has offered to repay money he claimed for travelling between his home in Brighton and London after questions were raised about his entitlement to the allowances.

One Labour MP suggested, unless a mistake had been made, the peer should consider his position.

Lord Bassam’s main home is not in London and The Mail on Sunday reported that as chief whip he is one of a small number of Lords frontbenchers entitled to an office holder’s allowance, currently £36,366 a year, that is there to cover peers’ “expenses in staying overnight away from their main or only residence”.

The paper said that, rather than using that allowance to cover the costs of a second home in London or hotel bills, Lord Bassam simply made the hourlong train journey between Brighton and the capital and claimed about £6,400 a year in expenses for train tickets and cab fares.

Jess Phillips, a Labour MP, told ITV’S Robert Peston: “If a mistake has been made and he’s willing to rectify that mistake ... I would say he doesn’t have to be got rid of but if that’s not the case people have to own up to their mistakes and live by them.”

In a statement Lord Bassam said: “With my home outside of London, I have been in receipt of the relevant office holder’s allowance for the opposition chief whip in the Lords.

“At the same time, in accordance with rules laid down by the House, I have claimed costs for my regular travel to and from Parliament.

“While I have not been advised that any breach of the rules has taken place, waiving the right to such travel claims would perhaps have been a more appropriate response on my part. I will not be submitting any further claims in this way, and instead use the office holder’s allowance to cover those additional costs. I will also discuss with House officials the steps necessary to repay previous travel claims.”