MPs' expenses: Eric Illsley jailed for 12 months

MPs' expenses: Eric Illsley jailed for 12 months | Politics | guardian.co.uk: "The former Labour MP Eric Illsley has been jailed for 12 months at Southwark crown court after pleading guilty to charges of false accounting concerning nearly £14,500 in parliamentary expenses.

He was told by Mr Justice Saunders, who is hearing all the cases arising from the expenses scandal: 'These offences were committed in breach of what was the high degree of trust placed in MPs by the authorities in the House of Commons only to make honest claims.

'Beyond that, the commission of the offences which came to light as a result of the police investigation into parliamentary expenses has tarnished the reputation of politicians and parliament.

'It is vital that people feel able to trust our legislators and their use of public funds.'

The judge said Illsley's crimes were less serious than those of former Labour MP David Chaytor, who was jailed for 18 months last month, but he bore a small but significant part of the responsibility for the public's loss of trust in MPs."

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