The amount spent by MPs on expenses soared by more than a quarter in just one year.
Despite the expenses scandal three years ago, MPs claimed £89.4million last year in taxpayer funding for accommodation, travel, staffing and other costs.
This is up from £71million the year before, but the expenses watchdog said that figure was unusually low because of the 2010 election, which meant a shorter parliamentary year
The total, which includes the cost of 50 iPads bought by MPs, is now only slightly lower than the £95.4million total in 2008/09, on the eve of the expenses scandal.
The Lib Dems’ Greg Mulholland came top of the expenses league table – claiming almost £190,000 in just one year; three times his salary.
The information, released by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, revealed that disgraced Labour MP Eric Joyce, spent the second-largest amount on travel.
And failed Labour leadership candidate David Miliband took the number two spot on staffing costs. Former PM Gordon Brown claimed £127,197 despite hardly ever attending the Commons.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt claimed almost £170 on petrol for his intern’s motorbike, and Labour’s deputy leader Harriet Harman claimed £7,500 for a focus group of young people following last year’s riots.
Sir Ian Kennedy, chairman of IPSA, said the figures showed that the ‘expenses scandal is behind us’, and that 99 per cent of MPs were sticking to the new rules.
‘There will be some who might say “this is too much” or “I could do it for less”,’ he said. ‘But we should look at the issue in more depth. MPs are there to represent us
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2199596/89m-MPs-expenses-26-just-year.html#ixzz25m45QHwh
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Words fail me!
and they cut benifits shocking
That money could of saved a life of a disabled person. Disgusting!
Seems that frugality is something they expect of others or at their expense.
Wonder what ever happened to cutting your cloth accordingly, while councils are capped how about this sort of behaviour isnt also subject to capping or greater control. Its a joke!
BTW Im going to ask my employer to pay for an ipad for me too ….. however I dont think Im going to get the same acceptance of it being a legitimate expense.
I can think of many words Gale.
Most of them are unprinatble.
How is it they claim sodding iPads? Seriously, they can’t afford one out of their salary? Some of these MP’s (mp = txtspk for muppet btw) are also getting paid for “consultancy” work and other jobs.
Ditto Paul, and people are dying whilst their expenses alone are more than we receive!
yes but havent they heard of osterity and the cuts they making to sick and disabled whilst showing the way spend spend spend but its none of their money taxes how sweet take ours away and they go nuts with theirs hippocrites all of them jeff3
Yes you are right MP’s are there to represent us, only that is not happening as all citizens get is template answers spelling party policy to questions that need answering with a more personal touch.
The nation is rightfully scared of the path the com/dems are following and with no improvement during half a term.
There reply letters show they spend very little time in there constituencies and thus they really need to do better in proving the expenses spent is worth it because all I am seeing is MP’s looking after there own vested interests.
So for their presence in Parliament now and then, for them to agree on anything this government decide to put through whether its for their constituents benefit or not, they are receiving a quarter of a million pounds! Beggars belief!
About time they also suffered cuts, basic travel and accomadation, no food, basic staff at basic wages and that’s it.
Give them motel rates!
Their salaries are high enough for a good standard of living as it is and most have other incomes anyway
this is a disgrace.they earn good wages,they should be capped on their wages and expenses and just receive the same amount of pittance as we receive on support allowance/incapacity benefit and then maybe they will realise what a dreadful stroke/hardship they are putting us under…
does anyone know how many this 89 million is between,i would love to know