The MP who heads up the committee in charge of supervising Commons expense claims has stepped down from the role following revelations in this morning's Daily Telegraph.
The paper reports that Tory MP David Curry has resigned as chairman of the standards and privileges committee after claiming £30,000 for a second home that his wife has banned him from staying in.
An investigation by the paper revealed that Curry used the second home to meet his lover.
On discovering the affair Curry's wife insisted that he no longer use the house, yet he continued to claim thousands of pounds in expenses for the property.
In a statement, Curry said:
"I used the cottage to carry out my duties as a constituency MP and am content with my arrangements.
"However, given the particular responsibilities of the chairman of the committee on standards and privileges I shall refer my case to the commissioner on parliamentary standards, John Lyon, and will stand down from the chairmanship during the course of his enquiries."
Curry was elected as MP for Skipton and Ripon in June 1987.
He was a junior agriculture minister from 1989 to 1992, when he became minister of state.
He moved to environment until his party's 1997 election defeat and was in the shadow Cabinet from 2003 to 2004.
Curry had already announced he is to stand down at the general election.
