Osborne in expenses probe

SHADOW chancellor George Osborne is facing an expenses probe by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner following a complaint by the Labour Party chairman for his constituency.<br /><br />Laurie Burton, Labour chair in Osborne&rsquo;s Tatton constituency, alleges that between 2001 and 2003, Osborne claimed a second home allowance on his main home, a practice known as &ldquo;flipping&rdquo;.<br /><br />Burton also says Osborne took out a mortgage worth &pound;5,000 more than the price of the second home and claimed allowances to cover interest payments on the entire debt, rather than just the cost of the house.<br /><br />A spokesman for Osborne said he had never &ldquo;flipped&rdquo; his second home allowance for private gain and was &ldquo;relaxed&rdquo; about the accusations.<br /><br />John Lyon, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, will investigate the claims.