UK MPs face conduct code

MPs found guilty of serious breaches of the expenses rules will be forced out of Parliament under a new code of conduct proposed by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The most striking proposal is a mechanism to expel MPs if they are found to have acted improperly over their expenses claims.

MPs would vote on a motion to banish a member of the House of Commons if the new, independent regulator judged they were guilty of gross financial misconduct.

Alternatively, the regulator could trigger a local referendum on sitting MPs found to have abused allowances, with voters in their constituencies given the chance to say whether they should be "recalled" from Parliament.

This would lead to a byelection.

At present, members can be convicted of a criminal offence attracting a prison sentence of up to a year and still keep their seats in Parliament.