Hampshire MP tipped for Speaker claimed full second home allowance

Sir George Young, MP for North West Hampshire, claimed £127,159 in total between 2001 and 2008 for his flat in Victoria.

The 67-year-old Conservative MP, who lives near Andover and chairs the standards and privileges committee, was defeated by Michael Martin the last time the Speaker's chair was vacated.

He was widely tipped to take over after Mr Martin announced his resignation this week.

He claimed interest repayments of more than £1,400 a month as well as the full rate of council tax on the band G property, £1,146 in 2008/09, despite being eligible for a second home discount.

Among items claimed for on expenses were a £699 washer dryer (reduced to £500 by the fees office) and a £449 dishwasher (reduced to £375).

Sir George said he didn't know about the council tax discount and the electrical items were bought to replace like-for-like items.

It comes as it was revealed Margaret Moran, the Luton MP who claimed £22,500 to do up her husband’s Southampton home, also won his company a £10,000 contract to put up lights in a park.

Miss Moran is today facing questions as to whether she helped win a contract for eQuality Networks, for which her husband Mike Booker is a registered director, to put up festive lights in Bury Park, Luton.

Miss Moran’s expenses claims have been described by Gordon Brown as “completely unacceptable”.

The Labour MP for Luton South spent the cash treating dry rot at her and her husband’s house in the city – 100 miles from her constituency and the House of Commons – shortly after switching her “second home” there.

Miss Moran, who earns £64,766 a year, said the property in Ivy Road, St Denys, was vital to her maintaining a proper family life.

The Southampton house was originally bought in 1988 by Miss Moran’s partner Mr Booker, who is thought to be a safety adviser at the University of Southampton.

Her name was only added to mortgage documents last year.