Conservative MP Andrew MacKay has quit as parliamentary aide to David
Cameron over what the party said was an "unacceptable" expenses claim.
Mr Cameron has said all Tory MPs must be able to defend their allowance
claims after a series of damaging allegations about MPs' claims.
Several senior Tory figures, including Michael Gove and Alan Duncan,
have agreed to repay money they claimed.
Mr MacKay, MP for Bracknell, is married to fellow Tory MP Julie
Kirkbride.
'Unacceptable'
The Conservatives said Mr MacKay had voluntarily submitted his expense
claims to party officials and these had revealed "an unacceptable
situation that would not stand up to reasonable public scrutiny".
Mr MacKay and his wife claimed second homes allowances on two separate
properties, with Mr MacKay saying they had done so "for eight or nine
years".
"Although Mr MacKay maintains that those arrangements were agreed by the
Fees Office, he resigned this morning with immediate effect," said a
party spokesman.
He said he had followed the advice of the Commons fees office but he now
realised the arrangement did not pass Mr Cameron's "reasonableness" test
and he felt it was "wrong" to remain in his position.
He told the BBC: "Due to an error of judgement in accepting advice from
the fees office I have let a lot of people down.
"I passionately believe in Parliament, in our democracy, and I think it
is very important that members of parliament are held in high regard."
He said his error of judgement had damaged Parliament's reputation but
it was up to his constituents in Bracknell whether he should continue to
be their MP.
He added: "I will also be holding a public meeting so that any one of my
constituents who wants to come and talk to me and cross-examine me can
do so next week."
He said had apologised to Mr Cameron for "causing any hurt or
difficulties" and had offered to repay the money, depending on what the
Conservatives' new scrutiny panel, announced by Mr Cameron on Tuesday,
decided.
Asked if his expenses claim felt wrong at the time, he said: "Looking
back now, it does look strange. I have clearly made an error of
judgement for which I profusely apologise."
The BBC's political correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti said Mr MacKay was
paying a heavy price for the public backlash against MPs' behaviour over
their expenses and the strong action party leaders were now taking over
the issue.
Mortgage 'mistake'
Former Tory chairman Lord Tebbit said Mr MacKay was a "good guy" but
said he had done the "right thing" in stepping down given the nature of
the situation.
"It ain't right," he said of the claims details. "I am glad he has
recognised it is so."
It comes as Westminster faced the seventh day of revelations about MPs'
expenses in the Daily Telegraph.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown is said to be "very concerned" about former
minister Elliott Morley claiming £16,000 for a mortgage he had already
paid off.
Mr Morley has said it was a "mistake" and has paid the money back but Mr
Brown has held talks with Labour's chief whip about his future. A
spokesman for Mr Brown said he was seeking "more facts" from Mr Morley
himself and will hold further talks with the chief whip later.
The newspaper also alleges Mr Morley rented out a London flat designated
as his main residence to another Labour MP, Ian Cawsey, a close friend
and former special adviser, who named the property as his second home,
allowing him to claim back the £1,000 a month in rent he paid to Mr
Morley.
In November 2007, the newspaper claims, Mr Morley "flipped" his
designated second home from his Scunthorpe property to his London home
and for four months the two men claimed expenses on the same property.
The Commons fees office stopped the arrangement. Mr Cawsey said he had
not been aware of Mr Morley's financial arrangements.
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