The expenses of representing

The expenses incurred by MPs and paid for by us in the last year totalled £87.6 million. This figure and those for all individuals have just been released. This represents an increase of 5% on last year.

The highest individual sum claimed was £185,421 by the MP for Dewsbury, an increase of £52, 986 on last year. This increase could be attributed to the fact that the Labour MP was in a seat deemed to be marginal, or perhaps he genuinely has worked harder in his constituency. Virtually all the top ten spenders were Labour MPs in marginal seats.

The overall average was about £135,000. The lowest figure, again, was by Phillip Hollobone, Conservative MP for Kettering, with £44,551, a reduction of £5,025 on what he spent last year. He apparently uses no paid staff, secretarial or researcher.

To indicate the directions of expenditure, the following were the highest under particular heads:
Stationery: Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, claimed £49, 107 (must have excellent artwork!) The previous year she was highest in postage, and nick-named "the postage stamp queen."

Car mileage: Labour MP for Rossendal and Darwen, who claimed £13,851 ( for something like 27,000 miles? Well they do have long holidays/recesses!

Staffing costs: Labour MP for Brent North claimed £119,193 (- he found the very best secretary and researcher?) Margaret Beckett, the Deffra mis-manager, who employs her husband to run her office at Westminster, charged £102,680.

It would be instructive to find out how much of the costs were actually campaigning costs - certainly some of the postage and stationery costs could well have been under this heading, and the big spenders tended to be from marginal seats.

With all the other perks they receive, meals and drinks included, it is tempting to think of there being waste in all this. But am I being too cynical?