I am not sure how any one can judge whether these costs are reasonable or not on the limited information given. But to simply condem based on an overall amount alone only fans the flames without addressing the rootcause - how to avoid MPs abusing the expenses system. It is unreasonable that MP's should be expected to meet work related costs out of their own salary. (how many company workers are willing to do this ?) However unlike a normal job there is a grey line between personal & private activites. Maintaining 2 homes & offices seems to be the biggest cost in these expenses and it is right that MP's should not meet additional costs themselves, however if this results in a windfall profit eg sale profit from the London flat , MPs should be made to pay back the amount of mortgage support they received upon realisation of this profit. Nit picking over expense details is timewasting and achieves little, rather overhaul the system to meet modern transparency and control requirements

A Mason, London, UK

Chris, what planet are you on, there are plenty of people even if the funding was halved. It is the myth put out by MPs that they are hard done to. What stops people standing as independant MPs is that most cannot compete with the Party campaign funding machines.

A Williams, Stockton-on-Tees,

No wonder the MPs want to keep their expenses secret

Tony, Manchester , uk

Lets see every single one !
Expenses published please!
Actually ,forget the please! Publish all MPs, MEPs and MSPs expenses!

Disgruntled Dorothy, Glasgow, Scotland

That must be some kitchen.

Derek Smith, brighton, UK

the labour just cant help it , up to there ears in sleaze,but still
jealous,because he BEAT them last year, jackie(the hut)baillie
STILL HURTS .....>

M Macmerry, west lothian, scotland

I challenge any person to be more cost effective and do the job. This is without borrowing from friends and family or being independently funded/sponsored. The requirement is to run 2 offices including 4 salaried staff( one in London). Remember parliament is unpredictable making reduced fares difficult.

To do so with a max secure income of 4 years and with parliament unable to meet deposits or an element of capitol repayment in the mortgage.( ie the sum you had at the start is exactly the sum you have at the end.)

If indeed our current 'generous' funding encourages more people to put themselves forward to represent their local people plus a high media profile of their private lives, then it can only support society.

I fear instead that the critics would not wish to take on the job even if they had the abilities and that the criticism of MPs remuneration is just one more step towards the devaluation of our elected democracy.

chris, birmingham,

No wonder people want to become politians with these kind of expence claims. If it was his own money the total would be somewhat lower. Much lower! I am sure that Mr Salmond will give some heartbreaking story about how he does'nt have two pennies to rub together. Doubtless to say he is probably over worked as well and is down to his last three cars. I'm sure he will tell us that he has not broken any rules either. Yes well none of us would, if we, like them, made the rules we had to live by. Legal theft is still theft which ever way you look at it. I wonder how he sleeps? Well very easily it would seem at 2331 pounds per night!

Jeff Donnelly, Durham, UK

Just get rid of all the Scottish MP's they all seem to be milking their expenses as long as the English tax payer pays.

Barry Holmes, Christchurch, New Zealand

Before any politicians call for Alex Salmond to resign they should be prepared to declare their own level of expenses first.It should be widely known that Salmond represents a rural constituency, many hundreds of miles from london so his expenses are going to look high in any case.It will be interesting to find out the level of expenses for MPs from urban constituencies.
Those who cast the first stone......
PS how much did Lord Foulkes claim on his drinks expenses???

martin, Dundee, Scotland

So Labour think he should step down over these expenses which mostly look like reasonable costs for staff to do his constituency work and he will not make a profit from these.

Strange but we should perhaps as all the MP's calling for him to resign to publish their expenses so we can actually compare like for like.

joe, Edinburgh, Scotland

What can one say other than God deliver me from the extortionate modern political establishment?

John C, Berkhamsted, England

I notice an important fact here. By not owning a flat and then claiming rent he will not be making any money from the property.

I wonder how many MP's own a flat and then charge the tax payer while they make a fortune from the london property market.

All MP's should publish all the expenses.

John, London,

It will be so interesting to see what is disclosed by other MPs when disclosure is forced upon them, disclosure in this case having been made voluntarily.

matthew, Stirling, Scotland