Labour MPs deny expenses fraud claims as South Yorkshire Police launch probe

The three Labour MPs at the centre of an investigation into alleged expenses fraud in Rotherham – during the 2015 general election – have denied any wrongdoing.

The denials from Sir Kevin Barron, John Healey and Sarah Champion came as South Yorkshire Police launched a probe into the financial declarations made by the MPs to the Electoral Commission, the UK's electoral watchdog.

"The investigation remains ongoing and an application for an extension has been granted by the courts," a spokesperson for the South Yorkshire Police said.

The Mail on Sunday reported that Champion, the shadow minister for preventing abuse, is accused of using a parliamentary assistant to campaign, while Barron, the chair of the House of Commons standards committee, is accused of failing to declare £21,000 spent on staff for the election.

Healey, the MP for Wentworth and Dearne, is apparently being probed about £30,000 expenditure "not properly declared".

But Champion said: "All my election expenses are declared within the law and the rules set out by the Electoral Commission and IPSA." Barron and Healey also denied the allegations to the Press Association

"These allegations are simply wrong. My expenses for the 2015 general election were reported fully in accordance with the law and the rules set out by the Electoral Commission," Healey said.

Barron added: "All my elections expenses were declared within the law and the rules set out by the Electoral Commission."