<div style="margin: 12px 0px; font-family: arial; color: #333333; background: #ffffff; border: solid 4px #e5e5e5; width: 100%; clear: left;"><div class="CM_CTB_Content_Wrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;background-color: #ffffff;"><div style="border-bottom: solid 1px #dcdcdc; white-space: nowrap; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: #eeeeee ;background-image: url(http://clipmarks.com/images/source-bg.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle; padding-bottom: 4px; color: #666666; font-size: 10px;" ><a href="http://clipmarks.com/clip-to-blog/" title="see clips that are hot right now"><img src="http://content.clipmarks.com/blog_embed/b2cbe622-1ff3-4a3b-bdaf-4123d73f4007/1E6706AC-1415-4666-8A45-F6DD59A5A0C4/" alt="" width="19" height="19" border="0" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 0px 4px; display: inline; border: none; float:none;" /></a>clipped from <a title="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1108146_mp_defends_expenses" href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1108146_mp_defends_expenses" style="font-size: 11px;">www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk</a></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1108146_mp_defends_expenses"><H3 class="headline">MP defends expenses</H3></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1108146_mp_defends_expenses"><div align="center"><img src="http://content8.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/img/14F492FF-03D1-479E-B889-9321947FA8B6" alt="Work and Pensions Secretary Jamed Purnell" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1108146_mp_defends_expenses"><DIV>CABINET minister James Purnell has defended his use of MPs' allowances after claims he puts grocery bills of up to £400 a month on expenses.</DIV></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1108146_mp_defends_expenses"><DIV>The Work and Pensions Secretary, who represents Stalybridge and Hyde, is the latest MP criticised for his use of tax-free second home allowances.</DIV></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1108146_mp_defends_expenses"><DIV>Leaked documents allegedly reveal that even though Mr Purnell earns £142,000 a year, he charges the taxpayer for the food he eats.</DIV></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1108146_mp_defends_expenses"><DIV>It is alleged Mr Purnell, 39, has clawed back £9,094 he has spent on groceries in five years.</DIV></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1108146_mp_defends_expenses"><DIV>Some months, he is said to have claimed the maximum amount of £400 for food - double the amount that unemployed youngsters receive from the benefits system that he presides over.</DIV></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1108146_mp_defends_expenses"><DIV>And since he was elected in 2001, his second home, in Islington, London, has cost the public more than £145,000 in utility, council tax bills, fixtures, fittings and cleaning.</DIV></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1108146_mp_defends_expenses">We have no intention of commenting on leaked documents, but are confident all claims are within Commons guidelines</blockquote></div><div style="margin: 0px 6px 6px 4px;"><table style="font-size: 11px;border-spacing: 0px;padding: 0px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tr><td style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;">&nbsp;</td><td align="right" style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;width:107px" width="107"><a href="http://clipmarks.com/share/1E6706AC-1415-4666-8A45-F6DD59A5A0C4/blog/" title="blog or email this clip"><img src="http://content9.clipmarks.com/images/c2b-foot.png" border="0" alt="blog it" width="107" height="17" style="border-width:0px;padding:0px;margin:0px;" /></a></td></tr></table></div></div>

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