The Tory leader's call came on Tuesday as he and the PM battled over who was the toughest in cracking down on Westminster's political expenses culture. Cameron also wants to slash the number of MPs by 10% from its tally of 646.
Already MPs have repaid more than £100,000, including £40,000 by junior health minister Phil Hope for claims he made for furniture and fittings.
The allowance, introduced two years ago, equates to £10,000 per MP in costs towards informing their constituents about the work they do. Direct mail and door-dropped newsletters are the key channels used.
However Cameron now believes that as the communications allowance should be the "next issue we have to tackle" as part of the purge on MPs' expenses.
Cameron made the recommendation as part of a set of proposals that appears to have given the Tory leader the edge in a PR battle resulting from the Daily Telegraph's series of revelations on large MP living expense claims.
At Prime Minister's question time on Tuesday, Cameron ridiculed the literature MPs produced with the allowance. He said: "Let's be honest taxpayers are effectively paying out thousands of pounds so we can all tell our constituents what a wonderful job we are doing.
"We've all done it. We all know the facts. Isn't this a gigantic waste of money? Let's save some money. Scrap the communications allowance now."
Gordon Brown replied that the matter was up to Parliament.
After Cameron made his pledge it emerged that the Tory leader has himself claimed £2,200 in communications allowance with George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, spending £9,965.
_1.jpg)
.jpg)
