Brown and Cameron struggle to contain rebellion over Sir Thomas Legg's repayment demands

Gordon Brown and David Cameron are struggling to contain a rebellion by MPs over demands for them to repay expenses.

A significant number of backbenchers wish to challenge the retrospective rules imposed by the former civil servant Sir Thomas Legg, who was asked to review all expenses claims for the last five years after the scandal broke in the summer.

All 645 MPs have now received letters from Legg either clearing them of any wrongdoing, requesting clarification or demanding repayment.

The fact that MPs have been ordered to repay claims that were originally approved by Commons officials has led some to question the legality of Legg's demands. Any rebellion is likely to be led by MPs who are leaving Parliament and have nothing to lose.

But the senior Conservative MP, Sir George Young, said that the weight of public opinion was likely to deter a revolt by MPs.

He said: "By the time we reach the end of the process my view is there will be very few MPs who will hold out and defy what their party leaders want them to do and what the public want them to do."

Cameron has warned that Conservative MPs who refuse to repay expenses will be banned from standing at the next election. He told GMTV: "In the end, if people are asked to pay back money and if the authorities determine that money should be paid back and they don't pay it back, in my view, they can't stand as Conservative MPs." The Conservative leader has been asked to provide copies of his mortgage-interest payments after he overclaimed for £218.91.

Brown, who has been ordered to repay more than £12,000, also called on MPs to accept Legg's findings. He said: "We've got to call an end to this and therefore people must abide by the decisions that are made and make the payments that are appropriate; Parliament will require them to do so."

The Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, has called for the expenses audit to be widened to include more scrutiny of MPs who claimed for large property-related sums. He has criticised Legg for focusing on household expenses such as cleaning and gardening.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Clegg said: "I think most people expected the worst offences to come under the toughest scrutiny - MPs who avoided capital gains tax, claimed cash for mortgages that didn't exist or flipped their second home so they could claim for renovations on house after house."

He added: "Every single MP who flipped, avoided capital gains tax or claimed for non-existent mortgages must be forced to repay the money and held to account. I believe we need to get MPs out of the property game altogether; they shouldn't profit from taxpayer subsidies."

Legg's review will now be sent to the members' estimate committee (MEC) which is expected to endorse most of his findings. AN MEC report incorporating Legg's findings will then be voted on by MPs.

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