May 24, 2009
No. 5406 — 1
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Page 39
Tory MP’s wife ‘should quit too’ By Murray Scougall
P
RESSURE was last night increasing on the MP wife of Andrew MacKay, who announced earlier he would stand down as an MP, to follow his lead and also quit.
Julie Kirkbride, MP for Bromsgrove, and her husband came under fire for claiming second home allowances.
MacKay was forced to resign as Conservative leader David Cameron’s Parliamentary aide earlier this month after it emerged he had claimed second home expenses on a property his wife declared as her main home. The taxpayer had effectively been subsidising both of their properties. Following a telephone conversa-
■ Julie Kirkbride
tion yesterday morning with Cameron, the MP for Bracknell, Berkshire, said he would step down at the next general election.
There is a growing belief that his wife’s position is also untenable. A Tory insider at Westminster commented, “I would say it’s very difficult for her to carry on, I just don’t see how she can.” ■ Continued on Page 2.
■ Andrew MacKay faced an angry reception from constituents when he tried to explain away his expenses.