United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal ultimately covered the entire gamut of Parliament—all major parties and several minor ones, ministers (including the Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, cabinet and shadow cabinet members) through to backbenchers, and members of both the House of Lords and the House of Commons. A number of members were expelled from their parties, or would not stand for re-election; some members repaid, in part or whole, sums they had previously claimed. Expenses claims to be repaid averaged £3,000 with the highest repayment being £42,458.21 by Barbara Follett. There were also payments to the UK tax authority for taxes on possible gains
Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 had attracted criticism over its role in the aforementioned scandal. The Act also created the office of the Commissioner of Parliamentary Investigations, who would, as part of the IPSA, oversee any investigations into MPs who he believed, or had reason to believe, had been paid an expenses claim that was not within the rules as set out in the Act and by the House of Commons, or the investigation of any MP who had failed to comply with the IPSA's code of conduct relating to financial interests. The government had attempted to legislate, as part of the original bill, that