Five Plymouth MPs claimed almost £730,000 in costs and expenses last year
TAXPAYERS stumped up more than £725,000 last year to cover the costs of MPs in the Plymouth area.
Details of the total business costs and expenses of Westminster politicians for 2011/12 have been published in an annual summary by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa).
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Four Plymouth MPs claimed almost £600,000 in costs and expenses last year
This includes the bill for staffing, running of constituency offices, and general administration such as office equipment and stationary.
Figures are also published for parliamentary expenses on accommodation for living in London during the week, and travel and subsistence costs.
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Total spending by MPs, who receive a basic salary of £65,738, in the financial year 2011/12 came to £727,040.37.
Of this around £400,000 was on staff costs which are paid centrally.
The annual spend for each MP covering constituency and staffing costs, and parliamentary expenses, including accommodation and travel, came to:
Gary Streeter (Con / South West Devon) - £157,682.46
Alison Seabeck (Lab / Plymouth Moor View) - £142,570.72
Sheryll Murray (Con / South East Cornwall) - £138,170.73
Oliver Colvile (Con / Plymouth Sutton and Devonport) - £133,393.24
Geoffrey Cox (Con / Torridge and West Devon) - £155,223.22
Mr Streeter said: “The vast majority of this is running my constituency office and providing what I believe to be an excellent service to constituents day in day out.”
Sir Ian Kennedy, chairman of IPSA, explaining the annual publication of MPs spending, said: “You can see how much is spent on staff, on renting offices, on travel and so on. And you can also see if an MP employs a family member of other ‘connected party’.
“In short, we are delivering genuine openness – the kind of which was inconceivable just a few years ago.”
The expenses scandal had now been left behind, he insisted.
Sir Ian said: “We have overhauled the system and the expenses scandal is clearly history.”
MPs were also keeping to the rules.
“So it isn’t just us doing our job – MPs are behaving responsibly and claiming within the rules,” he said.
He added: “There will be some who might say ‘this is too much ‘or ‘I could do it for less’. But we should look at the issue in more depth. MPs are there to represent us. If we want to be able to see our MP, contact their staff – and it is in on MPs’ staff where most of this expense goes, visit MPs’ offices, have them write to us, represent us in Parliament, and help us with problems in the constituency, we have to face the fact that there is a cost to doing so. If we want a good service from our MPs, we have to fund them.
“What we now have are clear, fair rules setting out what MPs can claim, with an independent regulator to govern the system, and transparency so we can all see where our money goes.”
Oliver Colvile
Constituency and Staffing Costs
Constituency Office
£14,786.31
General Admin
£1,023.35
Staffing Expenses
£9,283.50
Constituency Rental
£349.72
Payroll
£94,803.20
Direct Parliamentary Expenses
Accommodation
£4,906.03
Travel and Subsistence
£8,241.13
Total
£133,393.24
Alison Seabeck
Constituency and Staffing Costs
Constituency Office
£8,419.37
General Admin
£190.92
Staffing Expenses
£0.00
Constituency Rental
£1,236.76
Payroll
£111,584.41
Direct Parliamentary Expenses
Accommodation
£11,269.06
Travel and Subsistence
£9,870.20
Total
£142,570.72
Sheryll Murray
Constituency and Staffing Costs
Constituency Office
£9,463.38
General Admin
£305.95
Staffing Expenses
£136.75
Constituency Rental
£1,774.65
Payroll
£95,541.49
Direct Parliamentary Expenses
Accommodation
£19,853.73
Travel and Subsistence
£11,094.78
Total
£138,170.73
Gary Streeter
Constituency and Staffing Costs
Constituency Office
£15,482.18
General Admin
£1,142.02
Staffing Expenses
£21,071.83
Constituency Rental
£675.44
Payroll
£90,462.95
Direct Parliamentary Expenses
Accommodation
£19,905.64
Travel and Subsistence
£8,942.40
Total
£157,682.46
Geoffrey Cox
Constituency and Staffing Costs
Constituency Office
£24,599.67
General Admin
£1,941.05
Staffing Expenses
£434.33
Miscellaneous Expenses
£931.64
Constituency Rental
£121.68
Payroll
£106,564.64
Direct Parliamentary Expenses
Accommodation
£9,158.27
Travel and Subsistence
£11,471.94
Total
£155,223.22
Comments
by CharlieDodd
Sunday, September 09 2012, 1:44PM
“..Tim said- 'So you'd never actually go to Parliament, Charlie?'..
Not to just sit around mate, I'd only go when necessary like if I wanted to make a speech calling the other parties every name under the sun”
by timplymouth
Sunday, September 09 2012, 1:00PM
“So you'd never actually go to Parliament, Charlie?”
by CharlieDodd
Sunday, September 09 2012, 11:54AM
“If I was an MP I'd work from home or a simple rented office most of the time answering letters, emails and phone calls from my constituents, or occasionally nipping out to visit them at their home if they were infirm.
If I had to hire staff, I'd ask a relative or two to help out and just slip them a few quid now and again, I'd never run up a massive allowances bill.”
by timplymouth
Sunday, September 09 2012, 9:40AM
“Because most voters want their MPs to actually live in the constituency they represent?
If your employer required you to live in one place and work in another they would probably pay your expenses too.”
by LTW39
Sunday, September 09 2012, 1:23AM
“why is it the general public have to fork out of thier own wages for rent if they work/choose to work in london and need to stay all week and yet MP's seem to think its within their rights to expect us to pay when they work in london”
by Nikgee
Saturday, September 08 2012, 1:13AM
“@kym1960 thing is it is so difficult to do anything that hasn't been legislated against. The biggest problem I currently have is being ignored by my MP, The only way to hurt this government is to take away its money and that means hitting the Golden Mile, but to do it legally.... that's the hard part. Otherwise the only other route is violence... and I don't do that!”
by Workitout
Friday, September 07 2012, 10:32PM
“That is only the "Half of it"
Backhanders ???????”
by kym1960
Friday, September 07 2012, 10:07PM
“i think you lot are a bunch of t@@ts you sit there and do nothing and you complain about the sick bill the government cost us twice what the sick bill .i the taxes are going up food is going up and petrol we pay more in tax then any body else ,one day you will not have any money to go out or treat your self but the rich will still the rich driving and all the mps and government claiming and living off us .when are we going to stop moaning and get off are a@@ and do something about it v va la France and have u seen any cuts from the top off the tree and the answer is no ?”
by Nikgee
Friday, September 07 2012, 9:26PM
“I love my country, I hate the government!”
by marc1964
Friday, September 07 2012, 8:35PM
“We vote them in and they are meant to mirrior us. I dont think so why go in to politics To do Good Nope . To help people Nope. To make a big fat bundle of cash off the backs of people that need the momey , Yes Yes Yes.
I would not mind if they got the simple things correct like stopping travellers from campinng out on nice places and hoodie crime was down , get that done and you can earn that money , You havent so SHAME ON YOU”