A BESIEGED Labour MP is facing calls to pay back almost £60,000 of expenses claimed for a home his parents live in.

Tony McNulty lives in Hammersmith but registered a semi-detached house in his Harrow East constituency, where his mother and father live, as his second home.

He has been claiming thousands of pounds a year on the property and Councillor Bob Blackman, the prospective Tory candidate for the seat, yesterday added his voice to calls for the cash to be handed back.

He said: “His own domestic arrangements are his own concern but it becomes a concern when he's claiming public money for a house in the constituency when he doesn't live there.

“My view is that if he hasn't been sleeping there and he has been claiming this money, he should pay the money back.”

Mr McNulty, employment minister and minister for London, has been the subject of a flurry of media attention since the Mail on Sunday broke the story about his expenses over the weekend.

But he has defended his position, telling a variety of news outlets that he used the home for his constituency work and saying he did not break the rules.

Greg Hands, Tory MP for Hammersmith and Fulham, has lodged an official complaint with the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

Dr Rachel Joyce, prospective Tory candidate for Harrow West, said: “It does need to be looked at by standards and I do find it difficult to see how he could have claimed the money legitimately.”

Cllr Blackman said: “The vast majority of people are struggling to pay bills, their jobs are a bit uncertain in a time of high recession and they are naturally concerned that this brings their representative into disrepute.”

The Harrow Times contacted Mr McNulty for a comment but has so far not had a reply.