Expenses chiefs urged to name MPs who called them 'monkeys'

Expenses chiefs were today urged to name and shame MPs who swore at their staff and reduced them to tears.

The Standard revealed yesterday how MPs launched foul-mouthed attacks on employees of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.

The abuse included calling them "f****** idiots" and "monkeys", and calling the new expenses system a "f****** abortion". IPSA, which is running the system, published details of the incidents after a freedom of information request - but refused to give out names, saying it could damage their working relationship with MPs.

However, Sir Alistair Graham, former chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life said: "I don't see why the names have to be redacted. It seems to me we should know. There is no excuse for appalling behaviour. MPs should be accountable."

Former MP and anti-sleaze champion Martin Bell added: "They should be named. There is obviously a small minority of MPs who have not got it and continue to attack the system. I'm sure the systems are not perfect but there's no excuse for behaviour of this kind."

MPs did not defend colleagues' abusive conduct but reacted angrily to the release of the private conversations.

Labour's Tom Harris called for IPSA to be closed. "If it were up to me, I would give it to the end of the week," he told the BBC. "But I think a lot of my colleagues will probably be of the view that we should try to reform it."

Labour MP David Winnick branded IPSA "chaotic" and former Europe minister Denis MacShane said its computer system was "impossibly difficult".