£161,300 claimed on MP’s expenses (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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Shipley MP heads local claims list
7:00am Tuesday 31st March 2009 in News By Ben Barnett
Philip Davies MP
The latest expenses for MPs show Shipley MP Philip Davies (Con) claimed the most money of the five district Members of Parliament.
He claimed £161,300, spending the biggest chunk of that total on staffing costs, £90,257. He also spent £23,083 on accommodation, £19,985 on office costs, £11,858 on travel, £10,732 on communications, £3,276 on stationery and postage, £1,107 on central IT provision and £1,002 on stationery.
The details are published annually and were initially due for release last October but were delayed amid a legal row over whether full receipts and invoices should be disclosed.
MPs are permitted to claim expenses, including up to £23,083 for the additional costs allowance (ACA), which covers the cost of staying away from their main residence.
ACA is used to cover the cost of a property, as well as rent or mortgage interest. Most MPs use it to pay for a base in central London to use while they are working in Westminster.
Keighley MP Ann Cryer (Lab) was the second biggest local spender, claiming £158,190. She spent £91,316 on staff, £20,269 on office costs, £19,765 on accommodation, £12,352 on travel, £8,304 on communications, £2,989 on stationery and postage, £1,845 on stationery and £1,350 on IT provision.
Bradford South MP and Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe (Lab) accumulated a bill for £146,023. Of this, £89,101 was on staff, £19,854 on office running costs, £17,976 on travel, £11,640 on accommodation, £5,003 on communications allowance, £1,415 on central IT provision, £615 on stationery and postage and £419 on central stationery.
Bradford West MP Marsha Singh (Lab) spent a total of £143,353. He claimed £69,619 on staff, £26,026 on office running costs, £22,964 on accommodation, £13,012 on travel, £7,776 on communications allowance, £2,018 on stationery and postage, £1,226 on IT provision and £712 on stationery.
Bradford North MP Terry Rooney (Lab) claimed the least in expenses with £137,978. He spent £81,933 on staff, £20,791 on office costs, £14,890 on travel, £13,980 on accommodation, £2,685 on stationery and postage, £1,273 on communications, £1,265 on IT provision and £1,161 on central purchasing stationery.
It also emerged that members of the Government are to have their ministerial salaries frozen this year and those of them who are MPs will also forego the £1,500 rise in their parliamentary pay to which they are entitled, Downing Street said today.
It was announced that MPs will receive a pay rise of 2.33 per cent from today, bringing their salary up from £63,291 to £64,766. But Downing Street moved quickly to say that ministers will not benefit from the rise.
Comments(21)
dazbot
says...
9:15pm Mon 30 Mar 09
Windyass
says...
9:51pm Mon 30 Mar 09
Oh, and for viewing p0rn.
ms walker
says...
12:08am Tue 31 Mar 09
;-)
murphygirl
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2:37am Tue 31 Mar 09
webess
says...
8:56am Tue 31 Mar 09
dazbot
says...
9:07am Tue 31 Mar 09
webess wrote:A staff member can be anyone, including anyone in your family, MP's often hire their partner and kids.
One key question isn't made clear. How much of the "staff costs" are actually their relatives employed to open the post?
emma72
says...
9:13am Tue 31 Mar 09
murphygirl wrote:or build a travel lodge / MP barracks that all the MPs can stay in - owned ratepayers not the MPs.
Instead of claiming for an additional base in London - why dont they stay in local B & B's - I'm sure it would be cheaper than the £23,083 that some have claimed!!!!
Haji
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9:49am Tue 31 Mar 09
Emma72 is right - build them a campus blocks and make them stay there close to parliament where they can all get into one shuttle bus together and not cost us a fortune and at the same time reduce traffic and pollution.
You are all sick greedy leeches that serve and line your own pockets. What happens to the people that elect you has never been your concern - especially Anne Cryer (can't stand any of them but especially the Cryer)
markjoe
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11:46am Tue 31 Mar 09
scottie dog
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12:01pm Tue 31 Mar 09
Haji wrote:What is your beef with Anne Cryer?,could it be that she is a champion of womens rights and as such is shining a light into corners previously ignored by our local MPs.
This is a pure gravy train situation and I find it sickening that the likes of Ann Cryer, who is always preaching to the rest of us on how we should all take the moral high ground is dipping into our money and blowing it on what seems like very expensive luxuries. Emma72 is right - build them a campus blocks and make them stay there close to parliament where they can all get into one shuttle bus together and not cost us a fortune and at the same time reduce traffic and pollution. You are all sick greedy leeches that serve and line your own pockets. What happens to the people that elect you has never been your concern - especially Anne Cryer (can't stand any of them but especially the Cryer)
On the subject of MPs expenses and the blatant way that they have used the liberal interpretation of the rule book says much about their greed and little about their integrity.
lanzaman
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2:05pm Tue 31 Mar 09
webess
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2:32pm Tue 31 Mar 09
Jammy
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3:30pm Tue 31 Mar 09
webess wrote:Bit of a slur on Elvis but your point is very valid ,Im afraid the days of M.P.s helping and worrying about there constituants is long gone ,now its a case of how much can i fiddle out of this one ,all we get is lip service thats if we are lucky ,but i suppose when we get an election we can do what we think is the best for our area,only problem is they all seem to be tarred with the same brush IE councillors and M,P.s
Gotta ask what MP's do for the area? My MP (Terry Rooney - Bradford North) might as well be Elvis given the amount I see & hear of him.
Tollerboy
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3:31pm Tue 31 Mar 09
ItchyBungle
says...
5:25pm Tue 31 Mar 09
emma72
says...
6:00pm Tue 31 Mar 09
Jammy wrote:Although I agree with you on the effectiveness / usefulness of many MPs, on the matter of second homes I'm pretty sure that Terry Rooney doesn't actually own a second home and stays at a subsidised hotel/B&B when he's in London to keep his costs as low as possible.So certainly in this respect he's doing the best he can (although £13,000 still seems a little extreme)
webess wrote:Bit of a slur on Elvis but your point is very valid ,Im afraid the days of M.P.s helping and worrying about there constituants is long gone ,now its a case of how much can i fiddle out of this one ,all we get is lip service thats if we are lucky ,but i suppose when we get an election we can do what we think is the best for our area,only problem is they all seem to be tarred with the same brush IE councillors and M,P.s
Gotta ask what MP's do for the area? My MP (Terry Rooney - Bradford North) might as well be Elvis given the amount I see & hear of him.
THE ORIGINAL BRAD FORD
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11:53pm Tue 31 Mar 09
DJA
says...
12:35am Wed 1 Apr 09
THE ORIGINAL BRAD FORD wrote:They are not greedy hypocrites.
AT LAST PEOPLE ARE WAKENING UP TO THE FACT THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE GREEDY HIPOCRITES! STEALING WHAT THEY CAN FROM THE BOTTOMLESS PUBLIC PURSE IN THEIR HOPEFULLY SHORT TIME IN OFFICE. ITS TIME FOR THEM TO GET THEIR HEADS OUT OF THE TROUGH & DO THE JOB WE OVER SUBSIDISE THEM TO DO. GET THIS CITY BACK UP ON ITS KNEES!
Would you do your job if you had to travel between your home and London at your expense or would you expect your employer to pay it ?
MP's are no different. They work both in their constituencies and in London where Parliament is based.
As for family members working for them, as long as they are doign that job, there is no problem.
Dear John
says...
11:04am Wed 1 Apr 09
DJA wrote:Do you mean doing things for them like collecting **** videos and electric plugs?
THE ORIGINAL BRAD FORD wrote:They are not greedy hypocrites.
AT LAST PEOPLE ARE WAKENING UP TO THE FACT THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE GREEDY HIPOCRITES! STEALING WHAT THEY CAN FROM THE BOTTOMLESS PUBLIC PURSE IN THEIR HOPEFULLY SHORT TIME IN OFFICE. ITS TIME FOR THEM TO GET THEIR HEADS OUT OF THE TROUGH & DO THE JOB WE OVER SUBSIDISE THEM TO DO. GET THIS CITY BACK UP ON ITS KNEES!
Would you do your job if you had to travel between your home and London at your expense or would you expect your employer to pay it ?
MP's are no different. They work both in their constituencies and in London where Parliament is based.
As for family members working for them, as long as they are doign that job, there is no problem.
emma72
says...
9:39am Thu 2 Apr 09
DJA wrote:No problem with families working for MPs - if they're doing the job.
THE ORIGINAL BRAD FORD wrote:They are not greedy hypocrites.
AT LAST PEOPLE ARE WAKENING UP TO THE FACT THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE GREEDY HIPOCRITES! STEALING WHAT THEY CAN FROM THE BOTTOMLESS PUBLIC PURSE IN THEIR HOPEFULLY SHORT TIME IN OFFICE. ITS TIME FOR THEM TO GET THEIR HEADS OUT OF THE TROUGH & DO THE JOB WE OVER SUBSIDISE THEM TO DO. GET THIS CITY BACK UP ON ITS KNEES!
Would you do your job if you had to travel between your home and London at your expense or would you expect your employer to pay it ?
MP's are no different. They work both in their constituencies and in London where Parliament is based.
As for family members working for them, as long as they are doign that job, there is no problem.
However completely disagree with second home costs - many people have to commute for less money and no chance of claiming expenses - one of my own relatives commutes to newcastle everyday for far less money.
distanced from the
rugger-tyke says...
9:10pm Mon 30 Mar 09