30-04-2009 - Ministers in expenses climbdown hours before vote Gordon Brown was forced into a second climbdown in 48 hours today after he made concessions on MPs expenses in the face of another Commons defeat. Harriet Harman, Leader of the Commons, accepted that the future of the whole issue should be referred to the Committee on Standards in Public Life headed by Sir Christopher Kelly, who had been at loggerheads with the Prime Minister over the timing of his inquiry. MPs will still however vote on four separate interim measures this evening: - stopping MPs who have constituencies just outside London getting a second homes allowance - requiring the full declaration of outside earnings - making the Commons authorities rather than MPs themselves responsible for the employment of staff, and - requiring receipts for all claims, however small. These "take-it-or-leave it" measures were announced by Mr Brown in his infamous You Tube video, in which he promised there would be a vote by MPs. Tory leaders were meeting to decide what to do after Ms Harman's move. They believed Mr Brown was trying to manoeuvre them into a position where they were seen to have voted against the disclosure of earnings. Far more Conservative MPs than Labour or Liberal Democrats have outside earnings. Mr Cameron has asked his front-bench to abstain on the issue, but backbenchers would be likely to vote against disclosure. The votes are expected around 5pm.