Reforms to MP’s expenses have been thrown into doubt after the standards chief claimed he is under ‘no obligation’ to follow them.

Professor Sir Ian Kennedy, the man responsible for implementing a proposed plan to clean-up parliament in the wake of the MPs expenses scandal, is considering scrapping key measures.

The proposals by Sir Christopher Kelly, the chairman of the Committee for Standards in Public Life, won the backing of all three major party leaders last week.

His recommendations included banning MPs from employing relatives and reaping the profits of selling their second homes.

However Kennedy, who heads the new Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, reportedly wants to abandon some of these reforms and hold his own consultation.

The Daily Telegraph claimed Kennedy said he was under "no obligation" to implement the measures and they were only the “only one of the bases of the conversation”.

Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker claimed Kennedy’s consultation would ‘rip the heart out’ of Kelly’s proposals and further undermine the public’s trust in Parliament.

“It will fuel suspicion I’m afraid amongst the public at large that, just as this matter was being put to bed, here is another behind-the-scenes stitch-up.”

Kennedy, who was appointed to the £100,000 a year position on Wednesday, has close links to New Labour and is a good friend of former Number 10 spin-doctor Alistair Campbell.

Baker added: “He has clearly got very close connections with the Labour establishment in Parliament and that will inevitably lead the public to conclude that there is some sort of understanding behind the scenes rather than somebody independent and impartial.”

Am IPSA spokesman said it had "a statutory requirement to consult on the content of a new allowances scheme".

"Sir Ian made his position clear when he was nominated as chair - Ipsa's job is to take the reins following the Kelly report and put together a scheme for consulting on."

Gordon Brown has said he accepts Sir Christopher Kelly’s report but claims responsibility for implementing reform now lies with Kennedy and IPSA.

But both Conservative Leader David Cameron and Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg have criticised IPSA’s role, saying Parliament should push ahead with the current proposals in full.

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