Exclusive: MPs Kicked Out In The Expenses Scandal Can Still Get Subsidised Booze

Dozens of MPs were kicked out of parliament following the expenses scandal. But we've found lots of them are still able to access parliament's subsidised bars and restaurants.

Parliament's bars are some of the best places to hang out in central London

Here's a group of MPs enjoying a pint in the House of Commons – taxpayer subsidies mean they typically pay less than £2.50 in central London, substantially cheaper than nearby pubs that are open to members of the public.

Politicians can also enjoy some of the cheapest food in central London thanks to a £7m annual subsidy.

British politicians also enjoy some high-quality formal meals for less than £10 in historic dining halls – largely because the taxpayer hands them £7.2m a year. That's enough to buy more than 3m free school meals to pupils.

Not that MPs always enjoy their food. Some have complained about the way staff stack their chips and the changing weight of ready salted crisps.

Some MPs take a little too much advantage of these cheap refershments

Falkirk MP Eric Joyce admitted starting a brawl in a House of Commons pub after complaining "This bar is full of f*****g Tories".

Joyce later told police: "It was a wee scuffly thing…If people said I was hammered, that was probably true."

And now we've learned that dozens of disgraced former MPs still have unlimited access this subsidised food and drink

Following a Freedom of Information request the House of Commons provided us with a list of former MPs who have successfully obtained a pass to access parliament.

They're all are still able to visit Westminster whenever they want, use the private dining rooms and drink in the subsidised bars – even though many were kicked out by their constituents for claiming wrongful expenses.

They don't automatically get this pass - it's only the former members who have especially asked for the privilege. And the only real benefit of the pass is access to the bars and restaurants.

One of them is Peter Viggers, who expensed £1,600 for a duck house

Ex-Tory MP Viggers was forced to step down after it was revealed that the millionaire had charged the taxpayer for the installation of duck island at his country house. But he can still eat cheap food in parliament. It's quackers.

Another man with a pass is Derek Conway, who employed his son to do, er, nothing

Derek Conway paid his son Henry £10,000 a year to work as his Westminster assistant, even though he was a full-time student at the University of Newcastle.

Not that Conway junior seemed too upset when the story emerged – he used the publicity to launch a clubnight called "F*** off I'm Rich" and turned up to the opening night dressed as an 18th century dandy in a carriage pulled by horses.

His Tory MP dad was forced to step down at the next election – but despite expelled from the party and resigning his job in disgrace, Derek Conway still has access to the whole of parliament.

Ben Chapman expensed £15,000 for a mortgage that didn't exist

...and decided to step down as MP for Wirral South when he was found out. But he's still able to wander around parliament's and drink in its bars whenever he wants, for life.

Another ex-MP with a pass is Douglas Hogg, who tried to claim £2,115 for "moat cleaning"

The 3rd Viscount Hailsham owns a large country house called Kettlethorpe Hall in Lincolnshire and claimed thousands of pounds from parliament to maintain it. He was forced to step down as a result – but, yup you guessed it, he's still wandering around parliament on a former member's pass.

Even Jonathan Aitken is still walking around parliament whenever he wants

The former Tory cabinet minister lost his seat in 1997 – then was jailed and declared bankrupt after losing a libel case against The Guardian. But our files show he still has the highest level of access to the whole of parliament.

And then there's Lembit. There's always Lembit.

Unlike the other ex-MPs on this list, Lib Dem Lembit Opik has done nothing worse than dating a Cheeky Girl and desperately trying to warn the world about the looming threat of an asteroid hitting earth.

But even though his constituents firmly kicked him out of one of the safest Lib Dem seats back in the 2010 general election, he's still regularly found drinking cheap booze in parliament's bars thanks to that pass dangling around his neck.

All of these MP have been sacked from their jobs – but continue to claim their staff discounts, paid for with public money.