'We live on rations' moans MP Duncan; Tory's remarks 'unacceptable' says party.

Byline: Gavin Cordon 

SENIOR Tory Alan Duncan was forced to apologise yesterday after he was secretly filmed complaining that MPs had been forced to "live on rations" since the expenses scandal.

Mr Duncan, the shadow leader of the House, swiftly issued a statement insisting his remarks were made in jest.

However, the Tory high command was last night understood to be taking a dim view of the incident.

Party leader David Cameron - currently holidaying with his family in Brittany has been informed, while a senior party source said his comments were "unacceptable", adding that he had been right to apologise. On the video, posted on the internet, Mr Duncan is heard complaining that MPs were being "treated like s***" and that in future no capable person would want to enter Parliament.

His remarks are particularly embarrassing for the Conservatives because - as shadow Commons leader - he leads the party on reform of the system of MPs' expenses and allowances.

The comments threaten to undermine the stance taken by Mr Cameron, who ordered his MPs to pay back thousands of pounds in expenses and barred some Tories from standing again.

Mr Duncan's position is particularly uncomfortable as he is having to return pounds 4,000 he claimed for gardening, having previously joked about the expenses scandal on Have I Got News For You.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson was quick to exploit the situation accusing him of obstructing Government efforts at reform.

"He, as the shadow leader of the House, has not exactly been helpful - and I say this frankly about him - in bringing about the reforms that the Government has tried to introduce," he said. "I must say, Alan Duncan is very fond of speaking a good game publicly, but in private talking and acting quite differently. So I'm not surprised he has been found out."

Mr Duncan's comments were covertly filmed by campaigner Heydon Prowse of the Don't Panic magazine after he was invited to the Commons by the MP.

It followed a stunt he staged at Mr Duncan's home - planting a flowerbed in the shape of a pound in protest at his claim for gardening - which became a hit on YouTube.

In the latest recording, Mr Duncan says: "No-one who has done anything in the outside world, or is capable of doing such a thing, will ever come into this place ever again, the way we are going.

"I spend my money on my garden and claim a tiny fraction based on what is proper. And I could claim the whole bloody lot, but I don't."

When he was asked how much he spent on the garden, he replied: "About pounds 2,000 a year and this was pounds 1,000 a year on expenses, you know. It's just, I'm afraid the world has gone mad."

Asked why people would no longer want to become MPs, he said: "Basically, it's being nationalised, you have to live on rations and are treated like s***."

In his statement, Mr Duncan said: "The last thing people want to hear is an MP whingeing about his pay and conditions. It is a huge honour to be an MP and my remarks, although meant in jest, were completely uncalled for. I apologise for them unreservedly."

CAPTION(S):

GAFFE Tory MP Alan Duncan.