LONDON, (Reuters) – Embarrassing disclosures about  the vast expenses claims of British members of parliament amount  to a “McCarthy-style witch-hunt” that risks driving politicians  to suicide, a lawmaker said yesterday.

Nadine Dorries, of the opposition Conservative party, wrote  on her blog that the scandal, in which the Daily Telegraph  newspaper has fed details of how members of parliament have  abused their generous expense allowances, was forcing  politicians to the brink.

The scandal has triggered outrage across recession-hit  Britain and opposition calls for an early general election.

European and local elections to be held on June 4 are  expected to reflect the level of popular disgust, with lower  voter turnout and a move towards fringe parties predicted.

A poll published in today’s edition of the left-leaning  Guardian found that two-thirds of voters sampled want Prime  Minister Gordon Brown to call an election before Christmas.

The Guardian/ICM poll also found that more than a quarter of  voters are planning to reject mainstream political parties in  favour of minority ones because of the expenses crisis.