MacShane faces jail term after admitting £13,000 expenses con

The ex-MP for Rotherham admitted false accounting by putting in fake receipts for “research and translation” services.

He used the £12,900 to fund trips to Europe, including to judge a literary competition in Paris.

Asked to enter a plea in a hearing yesterday at the Old Bailey, MacShane replied: “Guilty.”

Sentencing was adjourned until December 19, and he was granted unconditional bail.

Mr Justice Sweeney told MacShane, who was wearing a dark suit with white shirt and striped tie, that “all sentencing options remain open”.

The admission comes after more than four years in which MacShane’s expenses have been under scrutiny. The 65-year-old, who served as Europe Minister under Tony Blair, resigned as an MP before punishment could be imposed.

The offence covered 19 receipts that MacShane filed between January 2005 and January 2008.

MacShane is understood to accept that he made a “grotesque mistake”, but he insists he did not make any personal gain from the claims. He has indicated that he told the police “everything and more” that he told the Standards Commissioner before the criminal case was initially dropped.

The maximum sentence for false accounting is seven years, although MacShane is likely to get less. He joins a list of politicians prosecuted as a result of the expenses scandal, where sentences have ranged from nine to 18 months.

They include fellow former Labour Minister Elliot Morley, as well as Jim Devine, David Chaytor and Eric Illsley. Tories to fall foul of the law were Lord Hanningfield and Lord Taylor of Warwick.

Another ex-Labour MP, Margaret Moran, was given a supervision order instead after suffering mental health problems.

Years of inquiry led to disgrace: Page 5.