MP highlights suicide risk over expenses

By Luke Baker

LONDON (Reuters) - Embarrassing disclosures about the vast expenses claims of MPs amount to a "McCarthy-style witch-hunt" that risks driving politicians to suicide, a Conservative MP said on Friday.

Nadine Dorries wrote on her blog that the scandal, in which the Daily Telegraph newspaper has fed details of how members of parliament have abused their generous expense allowances, was forcing politicians to the brink.

The scandal has triggered outrage across the recession-hit country and opposition calls for an early general election.

European and local elections to be held on June 4 are expected to reflect the level of popular disgust, with lower voter turnout and a move towards fringe parties predicted.

A poll published in Saturday's edition of the Guardian found that two-thirds of voters sampled want Prime Minister Gordon Brown to call an election before Christmas.

The Guardian/ICM poll also found that more than a quarter of voters are planning to reject mainstream political parties in favour of minority ones because of the expenses crisis.

"The atmosphere in Westminster is unbearable," Dorries wrote on the blog (blog.dorries.org). "People are constantly checking to see if others are OK. Everyone fears a suicide."

Asked about her comments on BBC radio on Friday, she sought to back away from the suicide suggestion but said the disclosures, including that politicians charged for duck ponds, horse manure, bath plugs and pornographic films, were forcing members of parliament to breaking point.