Labour, Tory and Lib Dem MPs had details of expenses deleted from Wikipedia pages

Details of MPs' expenses and opposition to same-sex marriage were deleted from their Wikipedia pages using computers from inside Parliament in the run up to the general election, a report has found.

Dozens of MPs had negative aspects of their online biographies removed or altered prior to the election in a bid to make them more electable, according to the Telegraph.

The changes include several instances of MPs' expense claim scandals being removed, as well as details of arrests and the use of "chauffeur-driven cars".

The investigation found these amendments to the MPs' Wikipedia articles were made on computers that had their IP addresses registered inside the Commons.

Anyone can edit Wikipedia pages and some of the spokespeople for the MPs have denied being behind the edits.

One of them included removing several sentences from former Tory minister Stephen Hammond's page, which revealed how he frequented "chauffeur-driven cars", and Tory MP Gavin Barwell's page had details of a local newspaper's criticism of his "persistent attempts at headline-grabbing" deleted.

An entire section of Labour MP Joan Ryan's Wikipedia page was removed that detailed her expenses claims after she was found to have spent £4,500 of taxpayers' money to redecorate her second home in Enfield, north London.

A spokesperson for Ryan denied the MP was responsible for the edit. They told the Telegraph:
"[She] did not even have access to the Parliamentary Internet network from which these changes were made."

Elsewhere, Tory MP Craig Whittaker's page removed a line which said he was arrested in 2012 over allegations he assaulted his son in a petrol station in 2012. It was later confirmed he was arrested over allegations of assault, but was released without charge.

Gordon Birtwistle's page also removed a line showing how the former Liberal Democrat MP opposed same-sex marriage as "gay marriage is just not on".

The page of Tory MP Robert Blackman also had newspaper headlines saying how he had an 11-year affair and was a "terrible lover" removed from his page, along with an edit about his "inaccurate" mileage claims.

A separate report by the Sunday Times also found the Wikipedia entry of Caroline Dinenage, the former minister for women and equalities, had references to her voting against the gay marriage bill removed as well as a quote attributed to her saying banning gay couples from marrying "takes nothing away from their relationship".

In April, Conservative party co-chairman Grant Shapps was accused of being behind an anonymous Wikipedia account that was being used to edit his and other politicians. He denied the claims, calling them "categorically false and defamatory".