Details of Peterborough MPs’ expenditure released by Parliamentary watchdog

Shailesh Vara MP for North West Cambridgeshire cost the taxpayer in the last financial year around £152,000, while Paul Bristow MP for Peterborough spent around £39,000 in his first year in the job.

Figures released from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority show Conservative MP Mr Vara’s total business costs for the 2019-20 financial year were £152,095.47.

His costs were well below the average for other members of Parliament elected before December 2019, of £188,295.

Fellow Tory Paul Bristow’s total business costs for the 2019-20 financial year were £39,288.83.

His costs were on a par with the average for the other 155 new members of Parliament elected in December 2019, of £40,869.

By comparison, Chris Loder, Conservative MP for West Dorset, who also joined the House of Commons in the most recent election, has cost £70,565. But, Kim Johnson, Labour MP for Liverpool, Riverside, just £7,391.

For those elected before December 2019, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has cost the most (£259,057) and Philip Hollobone, Conservative MP for Kettering, the least (£78,960).

Mr Vara spent £149,054.22 on office running costs in 2019-20, including £135,554.37 on staff wages and £13,499.85 on other office expenditures.

And he incurred no accommodation costs during this time, but spent £3,041.25 on travel and subsistence.

Mr Bristow spent £31,864.35 on office running costs in 2019-20, including £28,548.03 on staff wages and £3,316.32 on other office expenditures.

The Peterborough MP spent £5,419.35 of his accommodation budget (of £7,514.4), and a further £2,005.13 on travel and subsistence.

The total cost of MPs last year rose by seven per cent to £127.6 million – including £5.58 million on travel and subsistence claims, and at least £718,700 on hotel claims – though 2019-20 does include more MPs as a result of new members following the election.

The IPSA figures also reveal the individual claims made by Shailesh Vara in 2019-20.

The most expensive single claim, outside of annual staff pay, was £3,168.00 for pooled staffing services. Further details provided said this was for “Policy Research Unit (Conservative)”.

At the other end of the scale, the smallest one-off expense he claimed was £1.00 for rail travel.

Shailesh Vara’s five most expensive types of costs were:

1) Payroll – costing £135,554.37

2) Pooled staffing services – £3,168.00

3) Website hosting and design – £3,095.00

4) Stationery and printing – £3,005.71

5) Car mileage – £1,818.00

The most expensive single claim, outside of annual staff pay by Paul Bristow in 2019-20 was £1,500.00 for rent.

At the other end of the scale, the smallest one-off expense he claimed was £0.19 for stationery and printing.

Paul Bristow’s five most expensive types of costs were:

1) Payroll – costing £27,663.03

2) Rent – £5,419.35

3) Bought-in services – £1,120.00

4) Car mileage – £1,000.37

5) Software and applications – £900.00

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “While MPs must have the resources to do their jobs, many taxpayers will be worried about the growing cost of politics.

“The electorate expects politicians to stay grounded and keep costs under control, particularly the millions spent on travel and overnight expenses.

“With the economy and public finances in such dire straits, limiting their expenses claims where possible would be a welcome way for MPs to show that we’re all in it together.”

The IPSA said the preparations for a General Election and the pandemic had had a significant impact on their work during the 2019-20 financial year, and on Parliament.

Interim chairman Richard Lloyd added: “In March we moved to full working from home for all our staff, and put in place a package of practical support for MPs and their staff to help them continue to serve their constituents during the Covid crisis.

“Every month over 4,000 MPs and staff have their salaries paid and business costs reimbursed, within the rules set independently by IPSA. It’s good for confidence in our system that compliance with the rules is very high, at 99.97 per cent.

“Through IPSA, taxpayers can be assured that public money has been spent appropriately by Members of Parliament, and that we have helped them to serve their constituents during the most difficult of times.”

MPs’ costs are usually broken down into dozens of categories, with staff pay almost always the largest expense.