Cleaning bill leaves new stain on Brown

Britain's ailing Labour government suffered another blow to its authority yesterday when a newspaper published details of expense claims made by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other ministers.

Mr Brown, trailing the opposition Conservative Party in opinion polls ahead of an election due by mid-2010, reclaimed £6,577 he paid his brother for cleaning services at his London flat, the right-leaning Daily Telegraph reported.

A spokesman for Mr Brown's office told the newspaper he was reimbursing his brother for his share of the cost for a cleaner they jointly employed, and was within parliamentary rules.

But the report, four weeks before local and European elections, added to public perceptions that lawmakers are taking full advantage of generous perks while ordinary people struggle to cope with a harsh economic recession.

"Absolutely outrageous," was the headline in the Daily Mail, often seen as representing the values of the conservative English middle classes.

Mr Brown said the problem lay with a flawed allowances system for MPs that needed to be overhauled. Parliament approved limited changes to the system last week, but dropped plans to scrap a £24,000 allowance for second homes.

"I have been trying to make big changes in this system... and make sure that everything is properly registered," Mr Brown told the BBC.

"The system doesn't work, we have said it has got to be changed. We have voted for change and that change has got to come quickly."

House of Commons Leader Harriet Harman, Mr Brown's party deputy, told BBC radio: "I know that this looks bad and that people are angry.

"I believe our House of Commons is not scarred by corruption on the scale of other political systems, but we all recognise that we have to act to win back the respect and confidence of the British in their Parliament."

The report showed that Justice Minister Jack Straw had claimed back his full local tax despite being given a 50 per cent discount. Mr Straw has now repaid the excess claimed.

Other ministers claimed for home improvements, furnishings and work on their gardens.

Following the reports, London police said they were weighing a request to investigate the leaked information.

"We have received a request from the House of Commons to investigate the alleged unauthorised disclosure of information relating to members' allowances," a statement said. "We are currently considering their request."

The row over perks is politically damaging for Mr Brown's centre-left government when voters are tightening their belts.

Labour faces local and European elections on June 4 and a bad performance is likely to fuel speculation about whether Mr Brown should lead the party into the parliamentary election.

Mr Brown took over from Tony Blair as Prime Minister two years ago, pledging to build trust in a government that had been undermined by the Iraq war and allegations of political sleaze.

But his image has been tarnished by a scandal over offensive e-mails sent by a close adviser, the expenses allegations and an embarrassing parliamentary defeat last week over the rights of Nepalese Gurkha soldiers to settle in Britain.

Joanna Lumley, a popular television actress, has led a high-profile campaign on behalf of the Gurkhas, leaving the impression that she is controlling the agenda on the issue.

Members of Parliament from all parties will be bracing themselves for criticism when full details of all expense claims going back to 2004 are published in July.