Conservative leader David Cameron today confirmed he had laid down a quit-or-be expelled ultimatum to a Tory MP over expenses claims reported to have included a £1,645 taxpayer-funded floating 'duck island' for his pond.
Mr Cameron said the claims by Sir Peter Viggers reported in the Daily Telegraphwould now go before a scrutiny panel to determine how much money he should pay back.
"I spoke to him last night and I said you are going to announce immediately your retirement or I will remove the Conservative whip and he has announced immediately his retirement," he told GMTV.
"He will now go through the scrutiny panel process and they will determine how much money needs to be paid back."
Mr Cameron added that he believed that a claim by Conservative party whip Bill Wiggin for an £11,000 mortgage against the wrong property, although a "bad" mistake, was a "honest mistake".
He said: "I am not sure the Telegraphhave got this right. My team went through with Bill Wiggin very carefully yesterday what has happened. He has given us every assurance that every penny he claimed should have been claimed and it does look like it is - it is a bad mistake - but it looks like it is an honest mistake and he was not claiming money that he was not entitled to.
"If he was, that would be totally different and he would be out of the door." He added: "He made, what I understand, is an honest mistake, if it wasn't an honest mistake he would be out of the door as well, be in no doubt about it."
His comments about the two MPs came as he renewed his call for a snap general election following the expenses scandal. Mrr Cameron said he was "unbelievably angry" about abuses of the expenses claims by MPs.
PA