Why Sir Thomas Legg is far from over

Tom Legg knows much more about MPs’ expenses than he’s been letting on.

He’s maintained an interface with parliament through the Commons audit committee for a number of years, and I am reliably informed he has been scandalised by what he has seen.

Over the years, I’m told, Legg repeatedly raised concerns about excessive claims on mortgages and household expenses.

The now knighted Sir Thomas Legg was thus the obvious person to carry out the present “review”.

In the coming weeks he’s honing in on mortgages – hence his demand to see more paperwork from David Cameron, among others.

Cameron has one of the highest mortgage interest payments claims in the Commons.

Legg proposes retrospectively to go for those who “flipped” their homes between first and second for tax advantage.

A mild-mannered man, he hasn’t enjoyed his day in the sun (or the Sun for that matter), but my informant tells me he’s determined to ride out the storm and inflict post facto discipline on people he has seen “misbehaving” for so long.