IPSA will have to release copies of MPs’ expenses receipts after failing in an attempt at the Court of Appeal to shield them from the public eye. Currently the expenses watchdog only has to release a brief summary of what appears on the receipt. Now they will have to release full copies, so the next time an MP claims for custard creams the details will be immediately available. A victory for transparency…

UPDATE: An IPSA spokesman says:

“We need to study the judgement carefully.  The Court made clear that this is an important test case with implications not just for IPSA but for all other public bodies.  We were right to test the point of law through an appeal to see whether images of receipts add anything additional to all the information about MPs’ expenditure that we already release.  We remain completely committed to openness and transparency and already publish a detailed breakdown of every claim made by every MP.”