BARNSLEY BY-ELECTION TO BE HELD ON MARCH 3

Disgraced MP Eric Illsley confirmed he would resign his seat in the Commons last night, after coming under intense pressure from members of his former party.

Last month the MP for Barnsley Central was convicted of dishonestly claiming more than £14,000 in expenses. He will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court tomorrow.

The former Labour MP – who continued to sit as an independent after having the party whip withdrawn – said: ‘I would like to apologise to my constituents, family and friends, following my court appearance, for the distress and embarrassment caused by my actions that I deeply, deeply regret.

‘I have begun to wind down my parliamentary office, following which I will resign from Parliament before my next court appearance.’

The announcement came 24 hours after David Cameron and Ed Miliband called for him to resign and trigger a by-election.

Commons Leader Sir George Young was expected to ask for an emergency vote on forcing the Barnsley Central MP out of the Commons if he failed to fall on his sword.

Illsley was due to stand trial at Southwark Crown Court in London last month.

But the 55-year-old changed his pleas on three charges of false accounting relating to three years of expenses for his second home in London.

Illsley had previously denied dishonestly claiming a total of more than £25,000. But his barrister, William Coker QC, said his client admitted wrongly claiming a revised sum of about £14,500.

The claims were made for council tax, telephone usage, service charges and maintenance, and insurance and repairs at his second home in Kennington, South London, between 2005 and 2008.

In a five-minute hearing, the MP sat in the dock rubbing his face. He spoke only to confirm his pleas, saying ‘guilty’ to the three charges.

Prosecutor Peter Wright QC said the Crown accepted the revised figure for the dishonest claims.

Labour is planning to trigger a by-election in his Barnsley Central seat on March 3.

SOURCE