THE chairman of the parliamentary Labour party has been told to repay £2,210 of expenses.

Tony Lloyd, MP for Manchester Central, has been told by independent auditor Sir Thomas Legg that he over claimed for rent on his London flat.

Mr Lloyd said his claims had been made in 'good faith' and had been unchallenged by the fees office at the time.

He added that he had not sought and 'would not seek' to make profit from his expenses.

Mr Lloyd, who recently chaired a meeting of Labour MPs in which Gordon Brown was grilled over Sir Thomas' remit, said he was 'deeply sorry' and would immediately return the money.
He said: "I believed until this week that my parliamentary expense claims, submitted in good faith, were completely in order, a view not challenged by the House authorities responsible for these, the exposes in the Daily Telegraph or when my claims were put online in July.

Audit process

"However the audit process of the Legg Inquiry has now identified that through administrative error I was overpaid by £2,210 for rent on the flat I use in London.

"This was an error on my part and I remain responsible for it and I am grateful it has now been brought to my attention for rectification. I am making arrangements to return this money.

"I am inevitably deeply sorry for this and apologise for the upset this will cause to my constituents, friends and family. Sir Thomas Legg points out that a recommendation that an MP should repay carries no implication or innuendo about the conduct or motive of the MP.

"I am grateful for this comment. I can assure my constituents that I did not seek and would not seek to profit or claim unfairly from my Parliamentary expenses."

Mr Lloyd joins a list of Greater Manchester MPs who have been told to return expenses claimed over the last five years by Sir Thomas.

Salford MP Hazel Blears has been told she overclaimed £225 for a shelving unit and James Purnell, MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, nearly £500 on rent.

Graham Brady, MP for Al trincham and Sale West, has been told to pay back £700 to wards a sofa, while Ann Coffey, MP for Stockport, has been or dered to repay £1,840 in cleaning bills.

More than a dozen Greater Manchester MPs have yet to de clare the contents of their let ters from Sir Thomas, who has written to every MP either ask ing for money to be repaid, re questing more information, or giving a 'clean bill of health'.