MP digs deep in bid to avoid paying ultimate price at election time

MP CHARLOTTE Atkins is preparing to fight for re-election after it emerged she repaid £4,000 parliamentary expenses more than necessary.

Sir Thomas Legg, a former civil servant brought in by Prime Minister Gordon Brown to review expenses, last week found the Staffordshire Moorlands MP needed to repay £5,434 she had claimed for cleaning and gardening costs, a refurbished bathroom and mortgage interest at her home in Park Road, Leek.

However, Ms Atkins had already repaid more than £10,200 at the height of the scandal.

She insists she will not try to recover any of the money.

The Labour backbencher said: "I fully agree with the new arrangements where you can only claim for expenses such as mortgage interest or rent, council tax, gas and electric on homes which are needed while in London.

"The rules will be put down in black and white instead of leaving grey areas.

"There has been no advice or proper methods and nothing has been straightforward but hopefully a line can now be drawn under the matter and everyone will know exactly where they stand."

Ms Atkins first swept to victory with Tony Blair's New Labour in 1997. She was re-elected in 2005.

A General Election will take place on or before June 3.

The 59-year-old remains hopeful she will be able to continue to represent Leek, Biddulph and the surrounding villages.

She said: "I am looking forward to fighting the seat. I am up for the challenge."

Ms Atkins admits changes to the constituency boundaries will favour her Conservative rival, Karen Bradley.

Ms Atkins said: "Not all the residents are aware there have been boundary changes.

"The Tories think they will have an easy win but I hope people recognise the work I have done on several local issues, including bringing SureStart to the Moorlands, fighting for Sailability to remain at Rudyard Lake, opposing mobile phone masts in residential areas and backing the retention of the town centre co-ordinator roles."

Ms Atkins faces opposition from Mrs Bradley, UKIP candidate Steve Povey and Liberal Democrat Henry Jebb.

Mr Povey said: "The expenses scandal has brought national and local politics into a bad light. It is about time we forgot about the main parties as they have all let us down."

Mrs Bradley said: "In the three and a half years since I was selected by the Conservatives, I have been to nearly 400 events locally, to agricultural shows, community centres and schools. I would be a strong, clear, local voice for the Moorlands in Westminster to make the change we need."

Liberal Democrat Henry Jebb said: "People I speak to locally are angry with our political representatives, but it's not enough just to swap those currently in power for new faces.

"The Moorlands needs MPs committed to reforming our failed political system."