The Herald: Scotland's most expensive MP claims GBP 171,836 in allowances Doran says high cost of flying has put him top of cash league

MICHAEL SETTLE CHIEF UK POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

MPs claimed £87.6m in expenses last year, a like-forlike rise of around 5% on the previous 12 months, it was announced last night by the House of Commons.

Frank Doran, the Labour MP for Aberdeen North, topped the Scottish list of 59 MPs with a total for 2006-07 of £171,836.   

The least-expensive Scottish MP was Commons Speaker Michael Martin, who represents Glasgow North-East, and who ran up a total allowances bill of £82,286.

Nick Harvey, who represents the Members Estimates Committee in the Commons, claimed taxpayers got "excellent value for money" from their Westminster parliamentarians compared to those in other countries.

"As well as playing a vital role in the House of Commons in debates, lawmaking and scrutiny, MPs have to undertake frequent journeys between the constituency and Westminster and elsewhere, " he said.

"They also have to ensure that offices are fully staffed and properly equipped and provide the level of support and communication increasingly expected and demanded by constituents, " added Mr Harvey, who represents North Devon for the Liberal Democrats.

However, Matthew Elliott, from the pressure group the TaxPayers' Alliance, said MPs should be "ashamed of themselves". He went on: "Families are struggling to pay higher tax bills whilst MPs are spending more and more of our money on themselves each year. What's worse is that they won't give us a full itemised breakdown of their expenses as MSPs do in Scotland."

He added: "No wonder voters have little respect for politicians when they see so many MPs with their snouts in the trough."   

Mr Doran blamed the high cost of flying between Aberdeen and London for his expenses record. He said: "It is the same old story: the further you are from Westminster and the harder you work, the more expensive the operation is. I run a full-time operation in my constituency. I travel back to it every week to be available tomy constituents and it is an expensive business."

In terms of travel allowances, 16 of the 20 MPs claiming the most were Scots with Angus MacNeil, the SNP MP for Na h-Eileanan An Iar, running up the largest bill at £37,273.

The high prevalence of Scots is hardly surprising given the distance between their constituencies and London and, in some cases, the rural nature of their seats.

Eric Joyce, the Labour MP for Falkirk, who came top of the UK expenses league in 2005/6, totting up £174,811 compared to £164,180 last year, was also number one when it came to travel, racking up £44,985. However, last year, while still number two in the travel stakes across the UK, he reduced his total to £33,587.

Last night, he told The Herald he was "chuffed" that his travel bill was coming down and insisted: "Next year, it will come down still further."

The back bencher explained that six months into last year heasked the authorities what his travel bill was and was told it stood around £23,000. He decided to travel less and use cheaper flights between Scotland and Westminster, thus claiming to have "halved" his travel costs in the second half of the year. "It's no bad thing to be aware of all the expenditure, " he added.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who was Chancellor during the period the latest figures refer to, claimed a total of £135,525 for 2006-07. The MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath claimed £17,017 for London accommodation, £9557 for air tickets and £2812 on postage and stationery.

His Tory rival David Cameron, who represents Witney in Oxfordshire, claimed £7860 more, including £20,563 on London housing and £12,775 on postage and stationery. His travel expenses were £950 in car mileage and a £20 rail fare but nothing for his bicycle riding.

Tony Blair, who was in office as PM through the period, claimed a total of £97,084.   

The MP with the highest overall claim was Shahid Malik, the Labour MP for Dewsbury and the International Development Minister, with £185,421. Lowest was Conservative Philip Hollobone, MP for Kettering near Northampton, with £44,551.

The largest postage bill was run up by Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh, who represents Mitcham and Morden in London. She spent £35,207 on stamps and another £13,900 on stationery.

Arguably the most contentious expense was that run up by husband-and-wife cabinet team Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper, the respective Schools Secretary and Housing Minister, who represent neighbouring northern England seats. Together, they claimed nearly £32,000 in allowances to fund their London home last year.

The couple have been embroiled in controversy over whether they broke the spirit of Commons rules by using allowances to pay for their property in London.

What your representative charged 1Frank Doran, Lab, Aberdeen North, £171,836. 2 Angus MacNeil, SNP, Na hEileanan An Iar, £169,971. 3 Alex Salmond, SNP, Banff and Buchan, £166,814. 4 David Mundell, Con, Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, £166,598. 5 Eric Joyce, Lab, Falkirk, £164,180. 6 Jim Devine, Lab, Livingston, £163,402. 7Mohammad Sarwar, Lab, Glasgow Central, £159,341. 8Malcolm Bruce, LibDem, Gordon, £158,580. 9 Angus Robertson, SNP, Moray, £158,151. 10 Michael Connarty, Lab, Linlithgow and East Falkirk, £157,769. 11 Brian Donohoe, Lab, Central Ayrshire, £157,663. 12 Alistair Carmichael, LibDem, Orkney and Shetland, £157,184. 13 Danny Alexander, LibDem, Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, £157,153. 14 Katy Clark, Lab, North Ayrshire and Arran, £156,767. 15 Anne Begg, Lab, Aberdeen South, £154,230. 16 Nigel Griffiths, Lab, Edinburgh South, £154,182.

17Tom Harris, Lab, Glasgow South, £153,862. 18 Rosemary McKenna, Lab, Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East, £153,608. 19 Russell Brown, Lab, Dumfries and Galloway, £153,561. 20 Frank Roy, Lab, Motherwell and Wishaw, £152,997. 21 John McFall, Lab, West Dunbartonshire, £151,852. 22 Michael Moore, LibDem, Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, £151,295. 23 Jim Sheridan, Lab, Paisley and Renfrewshire North, £151,272. 24 Gordon Banks, Lab, Ochil and South Perthshire, £151,260. 25 Jim McGovern, Lab, Dundee West, £149,098. 26 Ian Davidson, Lab, Glasgow South West, £148,678. 27 Will Rennie, Lib Dem, Dunfermline and West Fife, £147,685. 28 John Robertson, Lab, Glasgow North West, £147,599. 29 Sir Robert Smith, LibDem, West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, £147,388. 30 Pete Wishart, SNP, Perth and North Perthshire, £147,142. 31 Jim Murphy, Lab, East Renfrewshire, £147,121. 32 Anne McGuire, Lab, Stirling, £146,705. 33 Tommy McAvoy, Lab, Rutherglen and Hamilton West, £145,770. 34 Mark Lazarowicz, Lab, Edinburgh North and Leith, £145,184. 35 John Barrett, LibDem, Edinburgh West, £144,427.

36Tom Clarke, Lab, Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill, £144,246. 37 Sir Menzies Campbell, Lib Dem, North East Fife, £142,810. 38 Stewart Hosie, SNP, Dundee East, £142,628. 39 Jo Swinson, LibDem, East Dunbartonshire, £141,392. 40 Mike Weir, SNP, Angus, £140,681. 41 Gavin Strang, Lab, Edinburgh East, £137,769. 42 Des Browne, Lab, Kilmarnock and Loudoun, £137,346. 43 Alistair Darling, Lab, Edinburgh South West, £136,854. 44 Anne Moffat, Lab, East Lothian, £136,483. 45 Charles Kennedy, LibDem, Ross, Skye and Lochaber, £135,769. 46 Gordon Brown, Lab, Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, £135,525. 47 John Thurso, LibDem, Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, £134,592.

48John Reid, Lab, Airdrie and Shotts, £133,613. 49 David Hamilton, Lab, Midlothian, £133,384. 50 Alan Reid, LibDem, Argyll and Bute, £133,049. 51 Douglas Alexander, Lab, Paisley and Renfrewshire South, £131,383. 52 Ann McKechin, Lab, Glasgow North, £131,351. 53 John MacDougall, Lab, Glenrothes, £130,150. 54 David Marshall, Lab, Glasgow East, £129,653. 55 David Cairns, Lab, Inverclyde, £126,852. 56 Sandra Osborne, Lab, Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, £123,731. 57 Jimmy Hood, Lab, Lanark and Hamilton East, £123,173. 58 Adam Ingram, Lab, East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow, £104,667. 59 Michael Martin, Lab, Glasgow North East, £82,286.