Expenses must not be secret - Burstow

7.01.00pm GMT Tue 20th Jan 2009

Paul Burstow, MP for Sutton and Cheam, will be voting against Government plans that would exempt MPs' and Peers' expenses from the Freedom of Information Act on Thursday 22nd January.

The plan to exempt MPs from the Freedom of Information Act was first proposed last year by former Conservative Chief Whip, David McLean MP. Mr McLean's Bill secured a Commons majority of Labour and Conservative MPs in the face of fierce opposition from Liberal Democrat MPs, including Paul Burstow MP. The Bill fell when it failed to secure a backer in the House of Lords.

Now the Government have taken up the idea and introduced a Statutory Instrument exempting MPs expenses from the Freedom of Information Act. As a result MPs have a straight yes or no vote on Thursday. Conservative MPs are currently expected to abstain allowing the Government to get its way.

Paul Burstow MP said:

"MPs are not above the law. It is wrong for the Government with help from the Conservative's to exempt MPs expenses from the spotlight of public scrutiny.

"I have consistently voted for greater transparency and accountability for MPs expenses. We need a fair system for reporting expenses so that the public can see how all MPs are behaving."