Former Scunthorpe MP Jailed For Cheating Expenses

Elliot Morley has become the first former minister to be jailed for cheating his expenses.

He has been sentenced to 16 months in prison. The ex Labour environment minister pleaded guilty to claiming more than 30-thousand pounds in bogus mortgage payments. It related to his home in Winterton, near Scunthorpe between 2004 and 2007.

His own barrister accepted it was not a question of ``if but how long'' he faced behind bars.

Morley pocketed £30,428 by claiming for a phantom mortgage and inflating the amount he was previously paying. He wrongly filled out a total of 40 forms relating to payments for his home.

In total, he claimed £16,800 on a phantom mortgage and £15,200 after inflating the amount he was previously paying - for which he should have been entitled to only £1,572.