Disgraced, expelled Labour Party smear – merchant and convicted liar Phil Woolas is entitled to keep thousands of pounds worth of taxpayer funded office equipment under the House rules that have still not been updated since the expenses crisis. Woolas also billed us for a fridge, microwave and an air conditioning system costing over £2,000 from his Incidental Expenses Provision. He gets to keep the lot.

Both the Department for Resources, (the body winding up the affairs of the old Fees Office,) and the omnishambles that is IPSA both told Guido they do not even have an inventory of what each MP has. Woolas also bought a computer on his expenses. He’s probably using it to email his lawyers right now.

A spokesman for IPSA admitted yesterday that they hadn’t taken any action on this issue but said they would consult on changes “over the next few months” and claimed that this “was one of the things we will be consulting on”. By the time IPSA gets anything done, Woolas is likely to be long gone.

IPSA must change the rules to stop outgoing MPs walking off with the office equipment, printers, computers and even envelope stuffing machines – all of which are vital in future election bids and are often kept by political parties regardless of who footed the bill for them. When a member loses, it is absurd that they walk away with all the kit. Phil “send ’em home” Woolas declined to comment…