Expenses: what did MPs for Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough claim for?

Loo roll, greetings cards and a desk fan all feature in a list of expenses claimed by our MPs.

Recently published annual figures from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) show claims paid out for Conservatives Peter Bone (Wellingborough), Philip Hollobone (Kettering) and Tom Pursglove (Corby) in 2019-20.

In total their combined bill was more than £450,000, of which the majority covered their staffing costs. All claims are regulated and approved by IPSA and MPs currently receive a salary of £81,932.

Mr Bone, who easily retained his seat at the 2019 general election, was the most expensive north Northamptonshire MP for the taxpayer with claims totalling £202,816, marginally more than the previous year's total of £198,741.

His total staffing bill was £155,864 and includes the salary of his partner Helen Harrison, who he employs as a senior parliamentary assistant.

The 68-year-old claimed £434 for a London hotel and £78 on a member of staff's flight to Edinburgh, with his office costs totalling just over £14,000.

They included several small claims such as £2 on bin bags, £4.25 on loo roll and £19.99 on a toilet seat.

The taxpayer also footed a bill of £10 for greetings cards, £4 for Duracell batteries, £159 on headphones and a charger, £19.98 on a laptop bag and £3.99 on undisclosed iPhone equipment.

Mr Bone repaid £24.60 when his office was sub-let.

Corby MP Mr Pursglove, who also retained his seat in 2019, claimed for a total of £174,353, a drop of almost £10,000 from the year before. His staffing bill was for £135,343.

The 32-year-old, who is currently an assistant whip for the Government, claimed £384.21 on emergency accommodation at a London hotel in the Covid-19 crisis in March.

Separate claims included £15.99 on a desk fan for his constituency office, £17.99 on a mobile phone charger and £100 on venue hire.

His claims also included a banner invoice for 26p under stationery and printing, but it's not clear what specifically the claim was for. In 2018 he was ridiculed for claiming 22p for a banana a volunteer of his had bought.

Mr Pursglove repaid £793 when his office was sub-let.

Kettering MP Mr Hollobone, who strolled to victory at the 2019 general election, has generally been one of the least expensive MPs for the taxpayer in recent years.

In 2019-20 his total cost was £79,461, up from just over £46,000 the year before.

His costed far less than his Corby and Wellingborough colleagues with just over £60,000 of his total bill spent on staffing.

He also claimed just over £5,000 on travel, the majority of which was on train tickets between Kettering and London, with the rest coming under accommodation (£8,695) and office costs (£4,579).

IPSA’s interim chairman, Richard Lloyd, said: "Every month over 4,000 MPs and staff have their salaries paid and business costs reimbursed, within the rules set independently by IPSA.

"It’s good for confidence in our system that compliance with the rules is very high, at 99.97 per cent.

“Through IPSA, taxpayers can be assured that public money has been spent appropriately by members of Parliament, and that we have helped them to serve their constituents during the most difficult of times.”