Culture of exes - The Sun

TAXPAYERS will fork out millions of pounds more on MPs' expenses under new watered-down rules to be announced today.

The bill for travel costs alone is set to soar by up to 500,000 a year as politicians claim for their spouses and children shuttling between their homes.

And 31 extra MPs will get up to 19,900 a year home allowance as their constituencies are more than 20 miles from Westminster.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority will announce the rule changes after complaints that the new system it created in the wake of the expenses scandal was too harsh.

Some MPs even begged the watchdog to reinstate their FIRST CLASS travel. They were refused.

IPSA chairman Sir Ian Kennedy said: "There can be no going back to the old ways but we must be fair to MPs."

Other changes will see the 650 MPs' staff budgets rise from 109,548 to 115,000.

They will also be able to claim kids as dependents up to the age of 18 instead of five, allowing an accommodation supplement of 2,425 a year for each child.

But Sir Ian would not soften tough rules on claiming mortgage interest. He called it a "toxic and totemic issue", adding: "We were not minded to make changes."

EX-MEP Den Dover expelled from the Tories over "unjustified" expenses claims has been ordered to repay 345,289 by the European Court of Justice.

c.hartley@the-sun.co.uk