A TORY MP is facing more questions over his expenses after it emerged his explanation for remortgaging his second home strays outside official House of Commons rules.

John Baron claimed parliamentary authorities had agreed to allow him to remortgage his second home in Noak Bridge to cover other expenses he had never claimed for.

As a result, mortgage payments on the property shot up by 40 per cent.

However, the Commons department for resources has now confirmed to the Echo the official rules on expenses, the parliamentary Green Book, would not allow such an arrangement.

Jeremy Brevitt, House of Commons spokesman, said: “The department points out a remortgage is only allowed where the higher mortgage is taken out to fund improvements to the property.”

Mr Baron, MP for Billericay and district, has made it clear in the past he has carried out no improvements to the Noak Bridge home, which doubles as his constituency office. The Echo has consistently asked Mr Baron to clarify details of his expenses, but he has repeatedly failed to do so.

However, Tory sources maintain Mr Baron was given unofficial agreement to remortgage his second home because he did not claim other expenses.

The Commons authorities would not be drawn on this.

If Mr Baron’s arrangement was agreed by the Commons authorities, it would add to a list of MPs’ claims which strayed outside the rules, but were still approved.

These include Labour Luton MP Margaret Moran who was allowed to claim £22,500 to treat dry rot at her partner’s Southampton home, 100 miles from her constituency, which she later agreed to pay back.

Allan Davies, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Billericay, said: “I hope David Cameron remains true to his promise to investigate.

“I shall be writing to Mr Baron to ask him to clarify.”

Mr Baron’s recent explanation came after the Echo revealed his mortgage interest rose from £860 to £1,205 a month during our MP expenses investigation in June.

It was in 2004, when Mr Baron remortgaged his property in Noak Bridge, bought for £153,500 in 2000, taking it to an undisclosed figure.

In addition to the Echo’s attempts to interview Mr Baron on numerous occasions, we have also sought reaction from Mr Cameron and several members of Billericay Conservative Association.

Before a Conservative Association executive meeting held on Friday, the only one to respond was councillor Kevin Blake, whose wife councillor Ann Blake works in Mr Baron’s constituency office.

He said: “What goes on at our meetings has nothing to do with you. I trust my MP 100 per cent. End of.”

After the meeting, association member councillor Frank Tomlin said: “There were some questions asked and Mr Baron assured us he had the agreement of the parliamentary authorities.

“He did not say how much the re-mortgage was for.

“As far as the association is concerned that is where we are at, unless something comes out of the Legg Review.”