Western Morning News: Soaring expense claims of region's MPs

Westcountry MPs cost the taxpayer £3.3 million last year as it emerged their expense claims are up by a quarter.   

Figures released last night showed Devon and Cornwall MPs claimed an average £164,651 for travel, staff, London homes, office costs, computers and stationery - more than 20 per cent higher than the £135,850 national average.

Across the two counties, the 16 MPs submitted expense claims for 2006-07 totalling £2.6 million, in addition to their salaries of a little under £60,000 each. Last night, MPs rallied to insist they represented good value for money - but the TaxPayers' Alliance said they should be "ashamed of themselves".   

MPs from the Westcountry can claim up to £22,110 a year for staying away from their main home to carry out their Parliamentary duties. Office costs can be reimbursed up to £20,400 and MPs enjoy a mileage rate of 40p a mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25p a mile thereafter. Motorbike riders can claim 24p a mile and cyclists 20p a mile.

Nationally, MPs claimed £87.6 million in allowances last year - a like-for-like rise of around five per cent on the sum for the previous year.

Matthew Taylor, MP for Truro and St Austell, tops the region's league table claiming £179,461 compared to Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw, who received £38,000 less.

However, the full breakdown of figures showed Torridge and West Devon MP Geoffrey Cox falls just outside the top ten nationally for office costs - £29,143 - while Tiverton and Honiton MP Angela Browning spent £95,920 on staff costs, the 17th highest in the country.

Plymouth Sutton MP Linda Gilroy spent more than any other Westcountry MP on stationery and postage. Her run on stamps, envelopes and notepaper came to £3,540.

North Devon MP Nick Harvey insisted British taxpayers got "excellent value for money" compared to those in other countries.   

St Ives MP Andrew George said people were wrong to think the money went into MPs' pockets. "If that is what it costs, that is what it costs. I don't gain a penny from this."

But Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Families are struggling to pay higher tax bills while MPs are spending more and more of our money on themselves each year."