MPs reveal travel expense claims

Many MPs claim thousands in car hire and taxi fees

MPs' travel expenses have been laid bare, following a two-year battle with the House of Commons authorities.
They published a detailed breakdown of figures after a campaign by Lib Dem MP Norman Baker, who said the public ought to know how money was being spent.
Scottish MPs claimed the most, Labour MP for Falkirk Eric Joyce topped the list with £44,985 and Orkney's Lib Dem MP Alistair Carmichael claimed £38,750.
Overall MPs spent about £2m on driving, £1.5m on trains and £1m on flights.
Distance
Mr Joyce said the amount he claimed was down to travelling between London and his constituency, and promised to review the number of meetings he travelled north to attend.
"Expenses for Scottish MPs are different to other MPs, because of the geography and distance," he said.
MAIN PARTY LEADERS' CLAIMS
Tony Blair - £202
David Cameron - £1,823
Sir Menzies Campbell - £13,449


Total expenses claims for last year - including travel, the cost of running constituency offices and constituency homes - were £86.6m, up £6m from the previous year.
The figures were revealed last October, but until now no breakdown had been provided of the £4.5m spent on travel.
Blair Gibbs, of campaign group The Taxpayers' Alliance , told the BBC that now the figures were public, MPs should spend less on transport.
"This is a good day for taxpayers and long overdue we think," he said.
CABINET MEMBERS' CLAIMS
Chancellor Gordon Brown - £7,609
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott - £4,612
Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett - £0
Home Secretary John Reid - £5,582
Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt - £2,390
Education Secretary Alan Johnson - £9,567


"In principle it's good because it's our money they're spending, but also in practice better openness will hopefully... lead to smaller claims."
Lib Dem environment spokesman Chris Huhne spent £3,284 on car mileage - but only £176 on train tickets, even though his Hampshire constituency is commutable by rail.
He told the BBC he owned a more environmentally friendly Toyota Prius, and often travelled by rail but did not claim it back.
It's important that MPs who are professing an interest in the environment can be measured by their own performance


Norman Baker MP


Labour MP Janet Anderson, who represents the Lancashire constituency of Rossendale and Darwen, made the biggest claim for car mileage at £16,612 - the equivalent of 60,448 miles in one year.
Meanwhile Tory MP Mike Penning claimed £7,978 in car mileage, although his Hemel Hempstead constituency is less than 30 miles from London.
South Norfolk's Tory MP Richard Bacon claimed the biggest car hire and taxi bill at £5,685, but claimed no mileage.
Appeals lost
Labour's Diane Abbott, who represents the London constituency of Hackney North & Stoke Newington, claimed £2,235 in car hire and taxi fees.
Meanwhile, Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander, MP for Paisley & West Renfrewshire, claimed £4,922 for rail travel and £4,592 on flights.
Very few MPs made claims for bicycle use, with Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North) and Mary Creagh (Wakefield) requesting most - £230 each.
The Commons authorities were forced to publish a detailed breakdown of the figures, rather than a combined figure, after Mr Baker's campaign.
He told the BBC: "It's important that MPs who are professing an interest in the environment can be measured by their own performance. "If MPs for example are saying that climate change is very important, yet are continually taking the plane, that's a matter their constituents ought to know about." The Commons, which lost two appeals, had argued that revealing further details would breach data protection principles.



It's really no wonder people are disallusioned with politicians in the UK!

 

How funny that the FOREIGN SECRETARY spends ZERO and the HOME SEC. spends thousands.

 

It was the bastard that lives 30 miles from parliament that got me - and the 2 fuckers claiming for wear and tear on their bycicle!

 

totally entertaining reading bb...cheers for the laughs...


same deal over here mate.... but, would hate to think what the US political expenditure is like...

good luck with your lovely country!!

 

It's not as if the wankers are'nt well paid !

 

Don't know if it's true but, heard that MP's get a hefty amount of money to buy to buy property in London when they become an MP. Then, if they leave they get to keep it .

Could be an urban myth, but on the other hand, would'nt be at all surprised.

*Mumbles to self* "Always knew was in wrong job...mutter...grumble...rant..."

 

We have done mortgages for MPs and it's very true !

 

God, why don't MPs just do what senators and reps. in the States do and just tack raises on to bills.

 

They do - they're the only people in the UK that debate and vote on how big their pay rise should be! From the 1st November 2006 a Member's Parliamentary Salary is £60,277. That's OK; it's the allowances they hammer - £87,000 for staffing their offices, £3,000 on IT equipment, MPs outside London can claim £22,000 for "additional costs" (£2,700 in London). They also just voted a massive contribution from tax to their pensions! It's not as if these twats need any more money because they're all allowed jobs on the Boards of companies (as "industry consultants"). I think they're allowed to claim £100,000 a year for a mortgage - shit I can only get a mortgage for £200,000 and I have to pay it off over 25 years, these bastards can live in (and pay off) a half a million pound house over the course of a five year period!

 

Remember, remember the 5th of November,
the Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot,
I know of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason
should every be Forgot.

Governments need to remember, who put their arses into the plush seats. In the States, our Republician party was shocked when they lost their hold on Congress, after years of inaction and overspending, last November. Now the Democratic Party is scrambling to try and please the public, to retain their seats and many Republicians are siding with both parties.

People should not be afraid of the strength of their government, the government should be afraid of the strength of its people.

Oh, and this is not a condoning of terrorism (please do not blow up Parliament and, yes I know the Gunpowder Treason ended badly for Guy Faulks), its just a reminder, through our actions, we control our governments to some extent.

 

Hey......don't knock Guy Fawkes, he was the only man to ever enter parliament with honest intentions !!.....:-D

 

I agree whole heartedly. Just says getting hung is a pretty bad end to a poltical statement.

 

Guy Fawkes was the only person to enter the houses of parliment with clear and honest intentions.

 

Anyone who thinks Blair has only taken £202 needs to be certified - his ugly bitch spent £7000 on getting her raggy hair done during the run up to the last election!

 

i think he's talking about transport costs, not other costs, and what cherie needs to spend money on is a fucking sack to put over her head, she is a brute! also, did u know that most Prime Ministers, or other high powered ministers, normally make more moey after they retire than whilst they're in power. little tit bit for you. mainly due to after dinner speeches etc.