▁March ▁ 2 0 2 0 ▁at ▁the ▁daily ▁brief ings ▁of ▁the ▁pan demic . ▁ ▁Cont ro vers ies ▁ ▁Exp enses ▁claims ▁ ▁Over ▁a ▁five - month ▁period ▁between ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁and ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁Michael ▁G ove ▁claimed ▁more ▁than ▁£ 7 , 0 0 0 ▁on ▁a ▁house ▁bought ▁with ▁his ▁wife ▁Sarah ▁V ine , ▁a ▁journalist , ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁Ar ound ▁a ▁third ▁of ▁the ▁money ▁was ▁spent ▁at ▁OK A , ▁an ▁up market ▁interior ▁design ▁company ▁established ▁by ▁Vis count ess ▁Ast or , ▁PM ▁David ▁Camer on ' s ▁mother - in - law . ▁Short ly ▁afterwards ▁he ▁reported ly ▁' fli pped ' ▁his ▁designated ▁second ▁home , ▁a ▁property ▁for ▁which ▁he ▁claimed ▁around ▁£ 1 3 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁cover ▁stamp ▁duty . ▁G ove ▁also ▁claimed ▁for ▁a ▁cot ▁mat tr ess , ▁despite ▁children ' s ▁items ▁being ▁b anned ▁under ▁updated ▁Commons ▁R ules . ▁G ove ▁said ▁he ▁would ▁rep ay ▁the ▁claim ▁for ▁the ▁cot ▁mat tr ess , ▁but ▁maintained ▁that ▁his ▁other ▁claims ▁were ▁" below ▁the ▁acceptable ▁threshold ▁costs ▁for ▁furn iture " ▁and ▁that ▁moving ▁house ▁was ▁necessary ▁" to ▁effectively ▁dis charge ▁my ▁parliament ary ▁duties ". ▁While ▁he ▁was ▁moving ▁between ▁homes , ▁on ▁one ▁occasion ▁he ▁stayed ▁at ▁the ▁Pen ny hill ▁Park ▁Hotel ▁and ▁Sp a ▁in ▁B ags hot