BRITISH LABOUR MP Eric Illsley’s parliamentary future was under increasing pressure last night after his own party called on him to resign immediately.
British prime minister David Cameron also said his position was “untenable” after he pleaded guilty to dishonestly claiming more than £14,000 (€17,000) in parliamentary expenses.
Sources close to Labour leader Ed Miliband said they would do whatever they could to “get rid of” Mr Illsley after it emerged that if the MP for Barnsley Central, in the north of England, is jailed for less than a year when he appears in court next month, then he could continue in his seat – including collecting his salary – for the period of his sentence.
Mr Cameron’s spokesman said the prime minister’s personal view was that “if someone has defrauded the people they are there to represent, that is quite an untenable position”.
Of the four British MPs who have faced criminal proceedings over expenses, Mr Illsley is the only one still serving as an MP. His resignation would trigger a second troublesome byelection for Britain’s coalition government.
Former MP David Chaytor was jailed for 18 months last week while two other former MPs, Elliot Morley and Jim Devine, will also face trial.
The law only excludes an MP from parliament if they serve a jail term of more than 12 months. Should Mr Illsley be sentenced to less than a year, MPs could pass a resolution in the house expelling him under rules that have only been used in a handful of cases and which officials in the House of Commons are nervous could trigger further appeals under European human rights rules.
In court in south London yesterday, Mr Illsley admitted three charges of false accounting relating to claims for repairs, utility bills, council tax and house maintenance between 2005 and 2008. – ( Guardianservice)