HALF of the rebel MPs who've pledged to fix Britain's "broken politics" were caught up in the expenses scandal, The Sun can reveal.
The 11 Labour and Tory rebels are vowing to renew politics and sweep away the old parties, claiming they've become discredited.
But they've been accused of hypocrisy – because every single one who was in Parliament at the time of the expenses scandal had embarrassing cash claims exposed.
A Westminster source told The Sun: "They say they're creating a new way of doing politics.
"But the main thing that's angered the public about the political class was the expenses scandal – and most of them were involved."
Angela Smith claimed £7,800 to buy four beds and other household equipment for her one-bedroom flat in London.
She also charged the taxpayer more than £600 for two digital cameras which she used to publicise herself.
Ms Smith later had to repay £1,400 she had wrongly claimed for council tax and other housing expenses.
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Mike Gapes, the MP for Ilford North, was handed £1,600 a month for a second home in Westminster – despite representing a London constituency.
He was also mocked over a series of trivially small claims including £30.98 for photo frames, £17.97 for a tea caddy and 7p for paperclips.
Joan Ryan also maintained two homes in London, charging hundreds of pounds for gardening works in just one year.
MPs have since been banned from claiming expenses on a second home if their constitency is within 20 miles of Parliament.
After the expenses scandal, a computer in Parliament repeatedly deleted details of Ms Ryan's claims from her Wikipedia page.
Ann Coffey was criticised for spending £200 a month hiring a cleaner for her second home.
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And Chris Leslie claimed £1,900 hiring a cleaner during his first stint in the Commons before he lost his seat in 2005.
The other six MPs in the Independent Group didn't enter the Commons until 2010 – when the expenses regime was cleaned up – or later.
On its official website, the group says: "Our politics is broken, but it doesn’t have to be this way. You can be part of changing our politics for the better."
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