A KENT Labour MP has called on the BBC to compel its journalists to publish details of their expenses claims.

Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP Derek Wyatt said that while he accepted politicians now needed to be more open about their own expenses, the same rules should also apply to journalists employed by publicly-funded broadcasters such as the BBC and Channel 4.

He is among more than 50 MPs who have signed an Early Day Motion that calls on the BBC’s political editor Nick Robinson to publish his own expenses.

The call comes after Robinson wrote in his BBC blog that he suspected MPs were reluctant to criticise publicly Michael Martin, the Speaker of the House of Commons, because they feared he would prevent them intervening in debates if they did.

Mr Martin has become embroiled in a row over claims about his own expenses.

Mr Wyatt said he understood why there were calls for politicians to be more open but said there should be a level playing field.

"We are going to have to become completely transparent and that is right. The public should know what we spend money on and if we need to get and produce receipts, fine but all public servants should have the same rules. Why not?"

The Early Day Motion says the BBC should publish a full-itemised account of Nick Robinson’s expenses "in the interests of transparency and accountability of public funds".