MP must tell us all why she opposed independent audit

Last Thursday 148 Labour MPs and 21 Conservative MPs, including Epping Forest's Eleanor Laing, voted down a proposal which would mean all MPs' expenses claims would be available to an independent audit.

This decision is wrong. Rarely a week seems to pass without a story in the press about MPs apparently fiddling their finances. The vast majority of MPs are not corrupt. But so long as they resist having their expenses and allowances subject to robust, external audit, the public can be forgiven for wondering what they have got to hide.

It is a disaster for anyone who believes in cleaning up our politics and improving Parliament's reputation. The House of Commons had the chance to vote for proper auditing of everything MPs do with public money, but an unholy coalition of Labour and Conservative MPs prevented it.

I am sure that many residents of Epping Forest will be deeply disappointed that Eleanor Laing voted against allowing all MPs' allowances to be externally audited. Surely Eleanor Laing must tell us why she voted to water down the proposals?