Britain’s Labour government has been left red-faced after a newspaper reported that prime minister Gordon Brown spent £6,577, or nearly Rs4.9 lakh, of taxpayer money for “cleaning services” at a private flat that he shares with his brother Andrew in London.
The Telegraph, which obtained the information under freedom of information laws, reported on Thursday that 13 cabinet members, including Brown, were reimbursed for questionable expenses between 2004 and 2008, embarrassing the Labour government as it falls further behind the Conservative opposition in opinion polls.
Brown’s office insisted that he and Andrew, a senior executive at EDF Energy, shared a cleaner at their flats in London, and the PM was reimbursing his brother.
Among others whose claims were laid bare are justice secretary Jack Straw and business secretary Lord Mandelson.
Brown’s spokes-man said the claims were made “in order to represent constituents effectively, MPs have to live in their constituencies and in London. At all times Gordon Brown acted with the full approval of the parliamentary authorities.”
