There are quite a few MP's/Lord's with a criminal record - four MPs and two peers were sent to prison for fiddling expenses, leading to the startling statistic that in 2011, while 0.13 per cent of the general population was in jail, a shocking 0.61 per cent of House of Commons members were in prison. Ex-Labour MP David Chaytor was jailed for 18 months for fraudulently claiming more than £20,000 in expenses. Jim Devine was jailed for 16 months for claiming more than £8,000.
Ex-environment minister Elliot Morley was sent to Ford open prison for fiddling to the tune of £30,000. Eric Illsley was released after just four months of a year-long sentence and claimed he was a “scapegoat”. MP Margaret Moran was spared prison and given a supervision order instead. None of the imprisoned MPs has returned to politics though.
Lord Taylor of Warwick was sent down for 12 months after claiming more than £11,000 from the taxpayer. He was joined by peer Lord Hanningfield who said he went through “hell” before he was jailed over his expenses. Both men repaid expenses they claimed illegally.