Two more British lawmakers announced Thursday they would resign over an expenses scandal which has sent shockwaves through parliament and the government here. Margaret Moran of the ruling Labour Party and Julie Kirkbride of the main opposition Conservatives said they would step down at the next general election after days of pressure from angry constituents and the media.
Both were among the most notorious cases in the MPs expenses row, which has now seen 11 lawmakers quit since it erupted, including House of Commons Speaker Michael Martin. Moran claimed 22,500 pounds (25,000 euros, 35,000 dollars) from the public purse to treat dry rot in one of her homes which was about 100 miles (160 kilometres) from both London and her constituency.
Kirkbride followed her husband, fellow Conservative MP Andrew MacKay, in quitting after the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported they both claimed allowances for a house they shared, effectively double-charging the taxpayer.
She also faced a string of other damaging claims, including that she used taxpayers' money to fund an extension to her constituency flat so her brother could stay and help with her childcare. In her resignation letter to Conservative leader David Cameron, Kirkbride said she had been subjected to a "barrage of distorted press stories".
Moran continued to deny any wrongdoing, saying the stories had had "a bruising effect upon my friends, my family and my health". Prime Minister Gordon Brown is facing heavy pressure from Cameron to call a general election soon over the issue. He must go to the polls by the middle of next year at the latest and the Conservatives have a big lead in opinion polls.
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