Expenses Tory MP lept under train in 'suicide bid'
TORY MP David Ruffley was recovering at home yesterday after throwing himself in front of a train in an apparent suicide attempt.
Mr Ruffley, 48, who was publicly rebuked for his role in the Westminster expenses scandal, leapt on to the track in front of the Gatwick Express at London’s Victoria station during Thursday evening’s rush hour.
The MP for Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk survived with just cuts and bruises because the train passed over him and he missed the live rail.
Mr Ruffley, a one-time Tory high-flyer, came under heavy criticism over his expenses. He claimed £3,350 on a bed, £2,175 on a 46-inch high definition TV, £1,674 for a sofa and £1,598 on two bedside cabinets.
Mr Ruffley, who is not married, had served as a shadow police minister and had been tipped for a future in the Cabinet. But he was lambasted when his taxpayer-funded extravagance was revealed, along with hundreds of other MPs.
Former Beirut hostage Terry Waite, who lives in Bury St Edmunds, had threatened to stand against him at the general election on an “anti-sleaze” ticket. In the end he did not stand. The expenses affair sparked severe depression for which Mr Ruffley is understood to have sought medical treatment.
He remained largely absent from the Commons and took part in just 13 out of 118 debates this year. He has not spoken in the chamber since February. British Transport Police have confirmed the incident was “non-suspicious”.