Hucknall MP cost the taxpayer £186,000 last year, new figures show

Hucknall MP Mark Spencer cost the taxpayer around £186,000 last year, new figures reveal.
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Figures from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) show the Conservative MP's total business costs for the 2020-21 financial year were £185,961.88.

Mr Spencer’s costs were up slightly from £185,104.64 the year before, but below the average for all MPs, of £203,880.

By comparison, Darren Henry, a fellow Tory MP for Broxtowe, had costs of £280,900 last year, while Philip Hollobone, the member for Kettering, had just £80,700.

Hucknall MP Mark Spencer's costs were below the average for MPs last year. PhotoL Daniel Leal-Olivias/Getty ImagesHucknall MP Mark Spencer's costs were below the average for MPs last year. PhotoL Daniel Leal-Olivias/Getty Images
Hucknall MP Mark Spencer's costs were below the average for MPs last year. PhotoL Daniel Leal-Olivias/Getty Images

Mr Spencer, the Government chief whip, spent £173,500 on office running costs in 2020-21, including £153,700 on staff wages and £19,700 on other office expenditures.

He spent all of his accommodation budget (£7,200), and a further £5,300 on travel and subsistence, £6,187.28 on rent and £4,672.52 on stationery and printing.

He also spent £1,803.81 on a working from home allowance.

The total costs of MPs last year rose by four per cent, to £132.5 million, with almost £300,000 going on hotel claims for just 49 members – including Mr Spencer.

Business costs are the essential costs incurred by MPs while carrying out their parliamentary duties including staffing, office costs and travel.

MPs cannot claim for personal costs, such as food and drink, during their normal working day, and all claims must be compliant with IPSA rules and accompanied by evidence.

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Richard Lloyd, IPSA’s chairman, said compliance with the rules was at 99.7 per cent last year.

He added: “By far the largest area of spending is to pay for the salaries of MPs’ staff.

"In the last financial year MPs and their staff changed how they work to provide their constituents with a service during the pandemic.

“We enabled MPs’ staff to work from home, while the amount spent on parliamentary business travel fell to reflect different working patterns."

The average cost of an MP was up 29 per cent, from £158,103, in 2019-20.

John O’Connell, chief executive of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: "It’s important MPs have the resources to do their jobs, but many taxpayers will be worried about the soaring cost of politics.

“The electorate expects politicians to stay grounded and keep costs under control, particularly given the Covid pandemic saw many MPs and their staff work from home.

“With taxpayers facing a cost of living crisis, politicians should be doing their utmost to keep their spending down.”

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

Mr Spencer said: “We have a great team of Conservative MP’s in Nottinghamshire who are all working hard to deliver for our area.

“We are all ably supported in this endeavour by our staff.

"They join us in working around the clock to ensure that we can get the best deal for Nottinghamshire from the Government.

“My staff and I work hard to keep costs low, whilst also delivering for the taxpayer.

"I hope that my constituents are seeing the fruits of our work.”