Reports claim banned MP Devine still under scrutiny for his expenses claim

Oct 22 2009 by Debbie Hall, West Lothian Courier

REPORTS emerged this week that MP Jim Devine’s expenses claims are still under investigation.

A national newspaper reported his expenses were still under scrutiny – despite being cleared by independent expenses auditor Sir Thomas Legg.

The Labour politician was told last week that he wouldn’t have to pay any money back as a result of a probe.

The MP had been under pressure to explain his £2157 claim for having his London flat re-wired after an invoice supporting the claim was found to have come from a company that did not exist.

The invoice contained a bogus VAT number and postcode, although Mr Devine said it was tradesmen who had provided him with the invoice.

He was also asked to clarify why the taxpayer had been charged £2326 for shelving and joinery work carried out by Blackburn pub landlord Tony Moran.

Mr Devine was deselected by the Labour Party in June this year over the discrepancies in his expenses.

The politician, who has represented the Livingston constituency since September 2005, became the first sitting Scottish Labour MP to be banned from standing at the next General Election.

He faced a three-person panel of his party’s special National Executive Committee, known as the star chamber, who unanimously voted that the endorsement of his candidacy should be rescinded.

A Labour spokesman said: “There has been no change to the decision that Mr Devine will not stand as a Labour candidate at the next election.”