Totnes MP Sarah Wollaston's two homes are broken into
A Westcountry MP has told how her London flat and her constituency home were broken into as she spoke out during a new row over Parliamentary expenses.
Totnes MP Dr Sarah Wollaston said she had grave concerns about publishing MPs' addresses, following incidents at her properties.
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Sarah Wollaston
No other details of the break-ins were given during the debate.
The Conservative MP said she agreed with a need for transparency, but said she was worried about a tiny minority of people, including activists, using the information maliciously. She spoke out as Commons Speaker John Bercow was accused of trying to suppress details of MPs' expenses that could show if they are using public money to rent homes from each other.
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Mr Bercow was criticised after warning the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) that revealing the identities of politicians' landlords would be a "security risk".
Ipsa had been due to disclose the material in response to a Freedom of Information request yesterday However, the process has now been put on hold in the wake of Mr Bercow's intervention.
Dr Wollaston said: "There is a real issue about MPs and their expenses, but there is another side to this story in that I think there are real security issues for MPs.
"I am very happy for everyone to know that I have no connection with my landlord in my London address – I have never met them and I don't think they even live in this country. But if they (Ipsa) publish politicians' home addresses then you are exposing them (MPs) to very difficult situations."
Concerns had been raised that a "loophole" allows MPs to profit by renting properties to colleagues, who then claim the costs on expenses.
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