UNDER-fire Bury North MP David Chaytor has held a two-hour meeting with local Labour Party activists in the wake of the row over his Parliamentary expenses.

He provided a detailed explanation of the circumstances surrounding earlier newspaper allegations that he wrongly claimed £12,925 in mortgage insurance payments on a London flat between September 2005 and August 2006. Mr Chaytor was subsequently suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party.

Last Friday, the MP met with executive members of the Bury North Constituency Labour Party (CLP).

Councillor Trevor Holt, vice chairman of the Bury North CLP, said the MP gave a verbal explanation about the expenses wrangle to the executive.

Cllr Holt said: “David gave a detailed explanation which takes some absorbing. There was absolutely no hostility at the meeting as we were there to listen.”

It is hoped that the Bury North MP, who attended the funeral of his mother this week, will address a full meeting of the Bury North CLP at a later date.

Cllr Holt added: “The next stage is to wait until he can get an opportunity to speak to the general committee.”

The Bury North MP has already apologised unreservedly to his constituents in the wake of the allegations and says he hopes to overturn his suspension from the Parliamentary Labour Party.

• A panel set up by the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to consider serious allegations against some of its MPs began deliberations into three cases yesterday (Wed). The case of Mr Chaytor will be considered by the panel at a later date after apparently being postponed.

The panel will have the power to recommend to the NEC that MPs are not allowed to stand as Labour candidates at the next General Election.