Burnley MP Kitty Ussher has quit her Treasury post and became the latest victim of the parliamentary expenses scandal.
More than a million documents and receipts have been posted on the UK Parliament web site with addresses, bank account numbers and other information "redacted" - blacked out.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper has waged a campaign publishing stories based on the unedited data after it bought copies of the full information for a leak source.
Since then 20 MPs have announced plans to retire or been banned by their parties from running again and even Tory Leader David Cameron has been prompted to pay back household expenses that he claimed.
Ms Ussher, 38, said she was resigning from her post as a junior minister and would not seek re-election to the Burnley and Padiham sea she won in 2005.
The Telegraph reported she told tax authorities her main home was in her northern England electoral district for a single month in 2007, allowing her to avoid tax when she sold it. In a letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, she said while she had acted within the law, she didn’t want to harm his government.
The letter quoted by the Telegraph showing Ussher’s address changes isn’t among the documents published by Parliament today.
The published documents include Gordon Brown’s laundry bills and the £40 he claimed in September 2007 to clear an infestation of mice from his home. They show that Chancellor Alistair Darling claimed £210 pounds for bed linen as well as his regular £300 pounds a month for food.
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s mortgage repayments are detailed along with the 2,243 pounds he claimed for redecoration of his constituency home in north east England in April 2004 and 5,131 pounds for a new central heating boiler the same year.
David Cameron, the leader of the opposition Conservative Party, claimed in November 2006 for replacing washers on taps and changing light bulbs. George Osborne, the Conservative’s finance spokesman, claimed 47 pounds for two copies of a DVD of himself debating in Parliament about “value for taxpayers money” in January 2005.
Ussher's resignation letter to reads:
“Dear Gordon,
It is with the greatest regret I have decided to resign from the government. After careful consideration I arrived at this decision because I do not want to cause you or the government any embarrassment.
I did not do anything wrong. At all times my actions have been in line with HM Revenue and Customs guidance and based on the advice of a reputable firm of accountants who in turn were recommended to me by the House of Commons fees office. Neither have I abused the allowance system of the House of Commons in any way.
I support your leadership and am 100 per cent loyal to the Labour Party which is why I do not wish to cause you or the party any difficulties.
As you know I also decided some time ago, completely for family reasons, that I would not be putting my name forward to contest the next general election. The hours of parliament simply don't work with the kids. There is no other reason for this decision.
However between now and the next election I will continue to work hard for you from the backbenches and serve my constituents in Burnley and Padiham to the best of my ability, as I promised them I would in my maiden speech.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity and honour to serve in government. I have enjoyed every second of it.
Yours sincerely
Kitty Ussher MP"
A statement from her office said "Kitty would like to make it clear that she remains dedicated to her constituents, and will continue to give the town the same high level of service that she has in the past, and will continue to do so up until the General Election."
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