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21 May 2011
Last updated at 09:45 ET
The Electoral Commission says it is looking into a complaint it has received about Energy Secretary Chris Huhne's general election expenses.
Two former Liberal Democrat councillors in Lib Dem minister's Eastleigh constituency told the watchdog he had made a "false declaration".
Mr Huhne has strongly denied the charge and insists his expenses were in order.
He is already being investigated by police over claims he tried to evade a speeding punishment, which he denies.
The energy secretary has been under pressure since his ex-wife suggested someone close to him took licence points for him after a speeding offence committed on the M11 motorway in 2003.
On Monday Mr Huhne dismissed the allegations as "simply incorrect".
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote
The allegations made concerning the energy minister's election expenses were based on a recording of a local party meeting where treasurer Anne Winstanley is heard saying that the elections "have cost more than we declared".
The complaint was made by former Lib Dem mayor Glynn Davies-Dear, now an independent councillor on Eastleigh borough council, and former Lib Dem councillor Andy Moore.
Both men quit the party in January in protest at the coalition government's policies.
The spending limit for Mr Huhne's constituency at the 2010 General Election was £39,973 and he declared £29,519.
Meeting 'misunderstanding'
Following the complaint against the energy secretary, she issued a statement in which Ms Winstanley said the general election expenses "were as declared to the Electoral Commission".
"Additional expenditure in this period was for the local election campaigns, or not attributable to the campaign," she said.
Mr Huhne has strongly denied the charge and insisted his expenses were in order.
He said: "These election expenses have been thoroughly checked and accepted by the Electoral Commission. I have no reason to believe there are any irregularities."
Aides said the minister was confident that the claims would be dismissed, arguing that they were was based on a misunderstanding of what was said at the meeting.
They said the sums referred to in the meeting covered all campaigning in the constituency and not just Mr Huhne's individual campaign expenses.
A spokeswoman for the Electoral Commission said it was looking into the matter. She stressed that it is not a formal investigation and that the commission looked into any complaints it received.
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Two former Liberal Democrat councillors in Lib Dem minister's Eastleigh constituency told the watchdog he had made a "false declaration".
Mr Huhne has strongly denied the charge and insists his expenses were in order.
He is already being investigated by police over claims he tried to evade a speeding punishment, which he denies.
The energy secretary has been under pressure since his ex-wife suggested someone close to him took licence points for him after a speeding offence committed on the M11 motorway in 2003.
On Monday Mr Huhne dismissed the allegations as "simply incorrect".
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote
I have no reason to believe there are any irregularities”
End Quote
Chris Huhne
Energy secretary
The allegations made concerning the energy minister's election expenses were based on a recording of a local party meeting where treasurer Anne Winstanley is heard saying that the elections "have cost more than we declared".
The complaint was made by former Lib Dem mayor Glynn Davies-Dear, now an independent councillor on Eastleigh borough council, and former Lib Dem councillor Andy Moore.
Both men quit the party in January in protest at the coalition government's policies.
The spending limit for Mr Huhne's constituency at the 2010 General Election was £39,973 and he declared £29,519.
Meeting 'misunderstanding'
Following the complaint against the energy secretary, she issued a statement in which Ms Winstanley said the general election expenses "were as declared to the Electoral Commission".
"Additional expenditure in this period was for the local election campaigns, or not attributable to the campaign," she said.
Mr Huhne has strongly denied the charge and insisted his expenses were in order.
He said: "These election expenses have been thoroughly checked and accepted by the Electoral Commission. I have no reason to believe there are any irregularities."
Aides said the minister was confident that the claims would be dismissed, arguing that they were was based on a misunderstanding of what was said at the meeting.
They said the sums referred to in the meeting covered all campaigning in the constituency and not just Mr Huhne's individual campaign expenses.
A spokeswoman for the Electoral Commission said it was looking into the matter. She stressed that it is not a formal investigation and that the commission looked into any complaints it received.
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