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British lawmakers face tighter new expense regime

British lawmakers will be banned from using taxpayers' money to make mortgage payments on second homes or hiring family members as staff under new rules published Wednesday in the wake of a scandal over legislators' allowances.

The new system will outlaw legislators from using public money for cleaners, gardeners, furniture or lavish meals, and tighten rules on what lawmakers can spend on communication with voters or transport.

Christopher Kelly, an ex-civil servant who drafted the new rules, said the stricter regime was aimed at bringing the House of Commons into line with the private sector, and winning back public trust in politics.

His recommendations, which party leaders have agreed to adopt despite some protests from lawmakers, follow a scandal over outrageous expense claims.

Lawmakers manipulated housing rules for profit, and attempted to bill the public for items including porn movies, horse manure and an ornamental duck house.

"Our proposals are reasonable and fair and bring Westminster into line with other walks of life and other legislatures," Kelly said. He said the regime is "shorn of the special features which gave scope for exploitation."

New rules will be phased in over five years for serving lawmakers, but enforced right away for legislators elected at the next national election — which must be held by June.

Kelly said that in the future, House of Commons lawmakers will only be reimbursed to rent an apartment in London, or to pay for hotel rooms while they are working in the capital. A new 25 pound ($41) limit will be set for the cost of dinner if lawmakers work late.

Some lawmakers previously used public money to fund mortgage interest payments, and renovations, on second homes either near Parliament, or in the area of Britain in which they were elected. Lawmakers were entitled to claim up to 24,000 pounds (US$40,000) per year, and some manipulated rules to help them sell the homes for profit, or to fund improvements to several properties.

Kelly — head of Britain's Committee on Standards in Public Life — recommended that an independent body, rather than legislators themselves, should be responsible for policing the allowances system in the future.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Kelly's findings should be implemented quickly, and in full.

David Cameron, leader of the main opposition Conservatives, said the new rules were vital to restore "faith in Parliament, in politics, and in this House of Commons."

A decision to phase in many of the new rules mean that dozens of lawmakers who currently employ husbands and wives as administrators won't be forced to fire them immediately. Some lawmakers have suggested that they could hire the spouses or relatives of other legislators — effectively swapping family members between offices — to circumvent the rules.

About 175 legislators have already repaid about 300,000 pounds ($475,000) since the details of their expense claims were leaked to a British newspaper earlier this year. An audit has called for hundreds of thousands of pounds (dollars) more to be returned to public funds.

More than 100 legislators have publicly confirmed that they won't contest the next election as a result of the furor. One study claims as many as 300 of the 646 House of Commons lawmakers could lose their jobs, though most will go as result of an expected rout of Brown's governing Labour Party by the opposition Conservatives.

Parliament's upper chamber, the House of Lords, operates a separate allowance system — paying members 160 pounds ($265) per day to fund office and administration costs, and about 170 pounds (US$280) to fund overnight stays in London.