London: In May last year Lord Clarke gave an interview to the Sunday Times in which he admitted he falsely claimed expenses for staying in London.
Lord Clarke of Hampstead, a former chairman of the Labour party, will not face charges after the CPS concluded it did not have enough evidence to charge him.
Lord Clarke started his career as a telegraph boy and postman before working for the Union of Postal Workers, becoming deputy general secretary in the 1980s. He was a member of Labour's national executive committee and served as chairman of the party in the early 1990s.
The DPP ruled that there was "insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of a conviction", taking the unusual step of naming someone who has been under investigation "in view of the considerable public interest".
In May last year Lord Clarke gave an interview to the Sunday Times in which he admitted he claimed expenses for staying in London, even when he had been at home or had stayed for free with a friend. He said it was a "terrible error", but added: "I was told you claim the full amount … the impression I got was that if I didn't do what people did, it could bring a bad light on somebody else."
First Published: Saturday, February 06, 2010, 08:46