Darling 'made claim for two homes'
Darling 'made claim for two homes'

Chancellor Alistair Darling is facing renewed pressure over his expenses 
after it was reported that he claimed second home allowances on two 
properties at the same time.
Mr Darling had earlier been urged to quit by Liberal Democrats who said he 
had been "caught with his fingers in the till".
Leaked records showed that in July 2007, 10 days after becoming Chancellor, 
he submitted a £1,004 claim for the service charge on his south London flat, 
the Daily Telegraph reported.
It said the charge covered the period up to the end of that year by which 
time he was also claiming second home allowances on his grace-and-favour 
Downing Street apartment.
Cabinet colleagues had earlier defended Mr Darling after Lib Dem economics 
spokesman Vince Cable, backed by party leader Nick Clegg, launched a 
stinging call for him to be thrown out of 11 Downing Street over expenses 
claims for accountant's fees and switching his second home.
Mr Cable used his column in the Mail on Sunday to demand the Chancellor's 
scalp, writing: "Here is the company finance director caught with his 
fingers in the till".
Responding to their attacks, Mr Darling's office insisted he had done 
nothing wrong and the pair were accused by Business Secretary Lord Mandelson 
of descending to "cheap jibes".
Mr Darling was among ministers who paid accountants thousands of pounds of 
public money to complete their personal tax returns, his own bills coming to 
£1,400 over two years, it was previously reported.
He was also accused by the newspaper of "flipping" the location of his 
second home four times in four years, allowing him to claim thousands of 
pounds towards the cost of his Edinburgh home and a London flat.
"The allegations made by Mr Cable are untrue," Mr Darling's spokeswoman 
said.

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