THE country’s most expensive MP yesterday put her high costs down to diligent campaigning and letter-writing on behalf of constituents.
Claire Curtis-Thomas, Labour MP for Crosby in Merseyside, notched up £168,889 in expenses and allowances including £71,773 in staff costs, £27,155 on travel and £24,699 on stationery and postage.
One of the lowest claimants was Tony Blair, who received £80,836 — although the figures do not show the full cost to the taxpayer of any minister because they have travel, accommodation and some office costs met by departments.
Mr Blair, whose salary is £178,922, claimed £15,490 for the cost of staying away from home on parliamentary business in the year to April.
His spokesman said that the amount reflected the use of Myrobella, Mr Blair’s home in Sedgefield, as his constituency office, even when he is not there.
The spokesman added: “The Prime Minister’s expenses have been approved by the (House of Commons) fees office and all are within the House of Commons rules.”
Mr Blair also spent £3,978 on premises and equipment for his work as an MP, £634 on travel, £81 for staff travel, £117 on stationery, £326 on postage and £1,876 on computers. His expenses totalled £80,517 in 2002-03 and £67,131 in 2001-02.
The most expensive member of the Cabinet was Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, who claimed £130,292 on top of his salary of £130,340. His total included £14,452 in travel costs reflecting the cost of journeying from his Dunfermline East constituency.
The next most expensive Cabinet member was Peter Hain, the Leader of the Commons and Welsh Secretary, on £127,626, including £7,181 on travel from his Neath constituency.
John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, claimed £107,299, including the relatively low figure of £4,716 in travel — presumably in his beloved Jaguar. Michael Howard, the Conservative leader, claimed £126,658 in 2003-04, £79,930 in 2002-03 and £63,678 in 2001-02. As Leader of the Opposition, Mr Howard is paid a total salary of £124,277.
Charles Kennedy, the Liberal Democrat leader, claimed £121,630 in 2003-04, £118,066 in 2002-03 and £93,108 in 2001-02. Although he is leader of the third party, Mr Kennedy receives a standard MP’s salary of £56,358.
Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, claimed £104,222 in expenses, including £70,304 in staff costs.
In March, Mr Duncan Smith was cleared of impropriety after claims that his wife Betsy did not do enough to justify her salary as his diary secretary.
His predecessor as Conservative leader, William Hague, claimed £129,075 last year. That included £12,654 in travel.
The four Sinn Fein MPs who have yet to take up their seats at Westminster but do have offices in the palace each claimed more than £100,000 in parliamentary expenses.
Michelle Gildernew (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) claimed the most on £115,420 with Gerry Adams, the Sinn Fein president, receiving £109,315.
The least expensive MP was Michael Trend, the Conservative MP for Windsor, who claimed just £56,657 in the financial year after he was suspended from the Commons for two weeks for improperly claiming more than £90,000 in accommodation expenses.
Mr Trend was caught claiming for a London home using a friend’s address.
A spokesman for Ms Curtis-Thomas, the former Dean of Business and Engineering at the University of Wales and MP for Crosby since 1997, said it seemed “perverse” that she was highlighted as the most expensive MP partly because she spent a lot on communicating. She claimed £24,699 on stationery and letters alone last year.
He added: “She does have a lot of letters from constituents. She is on the Home Affairs Select Committee and heavily involved in a campaign on false allegations against teachers which they had a lot of in Liverpool.” Keith Vaz, the second most expensive MP at £164,265, put his £22,409 in combined postage and stationery costs down to a massive caseload on immigration cases.
Mr Vaz, Labour MP for Leicester East, said: “My constituency has practically the highest proportion of ethnic minorities in the country and we are often writing to Dacca, New Delhi and Islamabad, as well as the Home Office and Foreign Office. MPs are basically immigration case workers now that advice centres have been cut. I have a four-hour surgery, I see a person every five minutes and it always overruns.”
He said that the £8,772 in the “other expenses” column was the salary paid for one of his staff who went on permitted leave to care for a paralysed partner.
The highest total spent on postage and stationery last year was £40,923 by Síobhain McDonagh, MP for Mitcham and Morden.
Her office said this reflected the many postal surveys she conducted to gauge constituency views on different issues.
A spokesman said: “It is her philosophy of what being an MP means to really represent people. The only way you can do that is to engage in very large scale dialogue with them.”
The most expensive MP in 2002-03 was Eric Joyce, the Labour MP for Falkirk West, who claimed £151,791, and in 2001-02 it was Peter Duncan, the Conservative MP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, who claimed £119,838.
BOTTOM BILLING
The ten lowest claiming MPs:
1. Michael Trend (Conservative, Windsor) £56,657
2. Sarah Teather (Liberal Democrat, Brent East) £68,689
3. Stephen McCabe (Labour, Birmingham, Hall Green) £70,516
4. Dennis Skinner (Labour, Bolsover) £71,120
5. Sir John Stanley (Conservative, Tonbridge and Malling)£73,849
6. David Winnick (Labour, Walsall) £74,961
7. The Rev Ian Paisley (DUP, North Antrim) £79,010
8. Peter Bottomley (Conservative, Worthing) £80,390
9. Tony Blair (Labour, Sedgefield) £80,836
10. Kate Hoey (Labour, Vauxhall) £81,103
TOP BILLING
£168,889
Claire Curtis-Thomas (46) MP for Crosby (Lab). Campaigning on behalf of constituents and for teachers who suffer false allegations made against them which blight their careers
£164,265
Keith Vaz (47) MP for Leicester East (Lab). High caseload of immigration cases, so his office liaises constantly between Home Office, Foreign Office and authorities in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Suspended from Commons in 2002 for breach of MPs’ code
£157,262
Mohammad Sarwar (52) MP for Glasgow Govan (Lab). He campaigns for shipbuilding on the Clyde and has high travel costs from Scotland. He was acquitted in a court of law of bribery and vote-rigging charges after the 1997 election
£153,989
Peter Pike (67) MP for Burnley (Lab). Campaigning for investment in Burnley and better transport links to the region
£152,861
Eric Joyce (44) MP for Falkirk West (Lab). Campaigns on reducing poverty and boosting economic development in his constituency; second highest travel costs of any MP
£150,355
Jim Sheridan (51) MP for West Renfrewshire (Lab). Piloted Commons Bill to regulate gangmasters after deaths of Morecombe Bay cockle pickers; former material handler at Pilkington Optronics
£148,818
Anne Picking (45) MP for East Lothian (Lab). Special interests in health and trade union movement; highest travel claims of any MP last year, totalling £39,744
£147,975
Angus Robertson (35) MP for Moray (SNP). His party’s spokesman on foreign affairs and defence; chairman of all-party group on South Caucasus, vice-chairman all party group on Austria
£147,650
Andrew Dismore (50) MP for Hendon (Lab). Interest in foreign affairs, especially Greece, Cyprus and the Middle East; campaigner against anti-Semitism; former leader of Labour group on Westminster Council
£147,338
Alan Simpson (56) MP for Nottingham South (Lab). Campaigner on many issues including anti-racism, anti-war, housing, policing, employment and environment; treasurer of the Socialist Campaign Group
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Table of MPs' expenses
