Letter from Baroness Warsi to Standards Commissioner

Baroness Warsi has asked the Standards Commissioner to investigate her expenses Credit: PA

Dear Mr Kernaghan

You will be aware of allegations in a number of newspapers this weekend that I made improper claims for overnight subsistence allowance in 2008 when staying in a property occupied by Naweed Khan, a member of Conservative Party staff, and owned by Dr Wafik Moustafa.

I strongly reject any suggestion that my claims for House of Lords allowances were in any way improper. My claims reflected the fact that as a peer whose main home was outside London, I incurred costs when staying in London overnight to attend the House of Lords. These included payments to Naweed Khan for the inconvenience and additional expense to which he was put when I stayed with him.

Nonetheless, in order to provide reassurance to the public that this matter has been considered dispassionately and independently, I would like to invite you to examine the substance of the allegations.

I assure you that I, my staff and the Conservative Party will co-operate fully with any investigation.

Yours sincerely,

Baroness Warsi of Dewsbury