By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 08:39 EST, 21 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:44 EST, 21 January 2013 . Labour's Denis Macshane quit the Commons in November after a damning report by the standards watchdog recommended he be suspended for a year . Police have launched a fresh probe into the expense claims of former Labour minister Denis Macshane who was forced to quit Parliament over claims he faked invoices. Scotland Yard is to look again at the 64-year-old’s claims after a damning report by parliament’s standards watchdog said his case was the ‘gravest’ it had seen which had not been dealt with by the criminal law. The Standards and Privileges Committee examined the way the former Europe Minister made up invoices worth £12,900. ‘The bills were signed with a “nom de plume” purporting to come from a general manager who did not in fact exist,’ the MPs said. In July last year police dropped the case, amid claims evidence was covered by parliamentary privilege and could not be used in court. But committee chairman Kevin Barron said that while the letters between Mr MacShane, former MP for Rotherham, and the Commissioner were privileged, the faked invoices were not. Today a Scotland Yard spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that following an assessment of the report published by the Standards and Privileges Committee and following liaison with the Crown Prosecution Service, the Metropolitan Police is reopening the investigation.’ Between 2005 and 2008 Mr MacShane submitted 19 invoices from a body called the European Policy Institute (EPI) for work including ‘research and translation work as agreed’ and ‘research and translation consultancy’, the committee report said. But the EPI had ‘no formal structure’. Names given on letterheads for general manager, an acting director and four associate directors were old friends of Mr MacShane. The organisation had no office and there had never been any salaried staff. The bank account was controlled by Mr MacShane himself, the report found. As a result Tory MP Philip Davies wrote to the Met saying that the committee’s findings were ‘astonishing and raise serious questions about whether Mr MacShane is guilty of criminal behaviour’. 2004: A visit to Madrid to inspect how Spain's new Government would impact British politics. 2005: January: Trip to Switzerland to meet MPs. Summer: Trip . to France and the Netherlands     ahead of referendums on EU treaty . followed by a visit to Warsaw ahead of Poland joining the EU. 2006: February: A visit to Poland to report on the country's politics. March: A visit to Berlin. Spring: Two visits to Switzerland to meet diplomats followed by trips to Paris and Pristina. 2007: Spring: A trip to France ahead of Presidential election. May: France again. November: A trip to Berlin, Paris, Frankfurt and Genoble. 2008: December: A trip to Warsaw for EPI meetings. Mr Macshane announced he was quitting as an MP in November after the Standards and Privileges Committee banned him from the Commons for a year. He said at the time: ‘I regret my foolishness in the manner I chose to be reimbursed for work including working as the Prime Minister's personal envoy in Europe.’ The Crown Prosecution Service said it was working on the case with the police. A spokesman said: ‘On consideration of the report published by the Parliamentary Committee on Standards and Privileges, we have looked again at this case. ‘We have continued to liaise with the police in relation to this and have now provided them with further investigative advice.’
Met Police announces it will look again at former Rotherham MP's claims .
64-year-old quit the Commons in November after damning report recommended year-long suspension .
Standards and Privileges Committee claimed he signed invoices worth £12,900 with a 'nom de plume'
By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 08:39 EST, 21 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:44 EST, 21 January 2013 . Labour's Denis Macshane quit the Commons in November after a damning report by the standards watchdog recommended he be suspended for a year . Police have launched a fresh probe into the expense claims of former Labour minister Denis Macshane who was forced to quit Parliament over claims he faked invoices. Scotland Yard is to look again at the 64-year-old’s claims after a damning report by parliament’s standards watchdog said his case was the ‘gravest’ it had seen which had not been dealt with by the criminal law. The Standards and Privileges Committee examined the way the former Europe Minister made up invoices worth £12,900. ‘The bills were signed with a “nom de plume” purporting to come from a general manager who did not in fact exist,’ the MPs said. In July last year police dropped the case, amid claims evidence was covered by parliamentary privilege and could not be used in court. But committee chairman Kevin Barron said that while the letters between Mr MacShane, former MP for Rotherham, and the Commissioner were privileged, the faked invoices were not. Today a Scotland Yard spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that following an assessment of the report published by the Standards and Privileges Committee and following liaison with the Crown Prosecution Service, the Metropolitan Police is reopening the investigation.’ Between 2005 and 2008 Mr MacShane submitted 19 invoices from a body called the European Policy Institute (EPI) for work including ‘research and translation work as agreed’ and ‘research and translation consultancy’, the committee report said. But the EPI had ‘no formal structure’. Names given on letterheads for general manager, an acting director and four associate directors were old friends of Mr MacShane. The organisation had no office and there had never been any salaried staff. The bank account was controlled by Mr MacShane himself, the report found. As a result Tory MP Philip Davies wrote to the Met saying that the committee’s findings were ‘astonishing and raise serious questions about whether Mr MacShane is guilty of criminal behaviour’. 2004: A visit to Madrid to inspect how Spain's new Government would impact British politics. 2005: January: Trip to Switzerland to meet MPs. Summer: Trip . to France and the Netherlands     ahead of referendums on EU treaty . followed by a visit to Warsaw ahead of Poland joining the EU. 2006: February: A visit to Poland to report on the country's politics. March: A visit to Berlin. Spring: Two visits to Switzerland to meet diplomats followed by trips to Paris and Pristina. 2007: Spring: A trip to France ahead of Presidential election. May: France again. November: A trip to Berlin, Paris, Frankfurt and Genoble. 2008: December: A trip to Warsaw for EPI meetings. Mr Macshane announced he was quitting as an MP in November after the Standards and Privileges Committee banned him from the Commons for a year. He said at the time: ‘I regret my foolishness in the manner I chose to be reimbursed for work including working as the Prime Minister's personal envoy in Europe.’ The Crown Prosecution Service said it was working on the case with the police. A spokesman said: ‘On consideration of the report published by the Parliamentary Committee on Standards and Privileges, we have looked again at this case. ‘We have continued to liaise with the police in relation to this and have now provided them with further investigative advice.’
Denis Macshane quit the Commons in November after faked invoices. Scotland Yard is to look again at the 64-year-old’s claims after a damning report Europe Minister made up invoices worth £12,900. ‘The bills were signed with a “nom de plume” Standards and Privileges Committee and following