Just how is your MP spending money from the public purse

William Hague, Conservative, Richmond, North Yorkshire

Expenses claimed:

2004-5: £129,976

2005-6: £126,782

2006-7: £136,335

2007-8: £145,123

Examples of claims:

● Monthly claims of about £60 for cleaning;

● Claimed up to £1,200 per month for mortgage interest payments on a second home in London;

● Thousands of pounds for utilities;

● £1,876.59 for “service/maintenance” in September 2005. Details blacked out;

● No claims for food;

● Claimed £1,845.65 for “service/maintenance” in February. Details blacked out;

● £852.60 on national newspapers between January 2007 and February last year;

● £47.88 for 250 two-colour business cards from the Quantock Handpress, in July 2006.

A spokesman for Mr Hague confirmed that the former Conservative party leader would stand at next year’s General Election. On the issue of blacking out information, the spokesman said: "There needs to be a common sense approach. Only information of a personal and confidential nature should be withheld. This would cover things such as bank account details and personal telephone numbers. However, there seems no reason why information such as MPs’ addresses or general correspondence with the fees office should be withheld. We are very happy to explain the nature of any information which has been withheld by the Commons authorities and reveal it if appropriate."

Tony Blair, former Labour MP for Sedgefield

Expenses claimed:

2004-5: £93,996

2005-6: £87,342

2006-7: £97,084

2007-8: £64,064

Examples of claims:

● £2,243, external redecoration, April 2004

● £5,131, new boiler, June 2004

● £515, dishwasher and installation, June 2005

● £6,990, roof repairs, June 2007

● £305, shredding, September 2007

Mr Blair’s office was contacted for comment, but no one could be reached.

Frank Cook. Labour, Stockton North

Expenses claimed:

2003-4: £122,616

2004-5: £127,651

2005-6: £115,820

2006-7: £127,215

2007-8: £153,902

Examples of claims:

● £5,374 and £745, paid to Out of Laos for translation and networking services to pursue his interest in south-east Asia;

● 99p, candles;

● £75.90, single duvet cover and pillowcase;

● £75.90, pair of single sheets;

● £139.98, DAB clock radio;

● £699, replacement TV;

● £3.99, long-sleeved shirt;

● £9.98, passport photos.

Mr Cook said a claim in 2004 for £1,450 to landscape the garden at his new London home was entirely within the rules, though it was rejected.

However, he was apologetic about a rejected submission less than two years later when he claimed for £5 that was put into a church plate during a Battle of Britain service.

"It was totally reprehensible and regrettable. It was a clerical error for which I am responsible and I’m just sorry that I did not take care of what went into the claim form. I do not think the allowances should be increased, but I think the rules should be made clearer to stop some people walzing away with tens of thousands of pounds. I have been criticised very strongly for not publishing my expenses but the media plays merry hell when not all of the claims are revealed – I have nothing to do with that."

■ Mr Cook said that over the period from 2003 to 2008 he paid £25,000 out of his MP’s salary to meet running costs that exceeded his parliamentary allowances.

Iain Wright, Labour, Hartlepool

Expenses claimed:

2004-5: £61,502

2005-6: £124,843

2006-7: £156,975

2007-8: £142,848

Examples of claims:

● £75.81, books on international relations, Europe and Politics, November 2005;

● £577.79, hi-fi equipment, June 2006;

● £1,632, sofa, November 2005.

● Mr Wright, the Housing Minister, used his allowances to claim for hotel bills, as well as claiming for furnishings for a home he had yet to buy. But in April 2005, he asked the fees office if he could claim for furnishings, even though he did not own a second home.

He claimed £1,200 for bedding and kitchen equipment.

Mr Wright later bought a London flat with fellow Labour MP Tom Watson. They have claimed more than £100,000 on the property since purchasing it in 2005.

"I welcome the publication of expenses, it is a positive thing. I have always been conscious that it is public money I am spending. I have never claimed the full amount and I have looked long and hard at where I can reduce the figure. People are right to be angry by what has happened. Some of the claims have been ridiculous and should not have ever been submitted."

John Greenway, Conservative, Ryedale

Expenses claimed:

2004-5: £122,173

2005-6: £118,444

2006-7: £133,652

2007-8: £130,967

Examples of claims:

● Under the additional costs allowance he claimed £500 on pot plants and bushes in total;

● £3,500 on household goods and furnishings in total, including £399 on a flat screen TV;

● £700 for decorating between July 7 and August 3, 2004

● £303 on plates between October 4 and November 3, 2004;

● £303 for repair to a washerdryer

● £135 to replace toilet seats in 2005

● £240 on new TV aerials in 2006

Phil Wilson,Labour,Sedgefield

Expenses claimed:

2007-8: £117,268

*Elected July 2007

Examples of claims:

● £11,250 rent for a onebedroom Westminster flat;

● £487 for a sofa bed;

● £92.03 for his TV licence;

● £314.45 in utility bills;

● £966.37 in council tax;

● £1,291.30 for storage;

● £92 for cleaning.

"I rent a flat in London and I have a home in the constituency which I feel is the proper way of doing things and I intend to continue.

There does need to be greater transparency in the way the expenses are handled and the people who have acted inappropriately need to be dealt with appropriately."

Roberta Blackman-Woods, Labour, City of Durham

Expenses claimed:

2005-6: £125,739

2006-7: £134,948

2007-8: £158,136

Examples of claims:

● £1,095 for a sofa bed

● £749 for a sofa

● £299 for a bedside cabinet

● £479 for a mattress

● May 2005 - March 2008, £32,242.96 for mortgage interest payments

● £8,900 for food Dr Blackman-Woods had already published her expenses on her website and invited The Northern Echo to view her receipts in May. "I have had all the details on my website so I wasn’t concerned for myself personally, but I was concerned about the damage to Parliament because of the implications for our democracy. I think it should be resolved by moving everything to an independent body. That’s what I think should have happened many years ago."

Hilary Armstrong, Labour, North-West Durham

Expenses claimed:

2004-5: £115, 271 205-6: £110,791 2006-7: £120,740

2007-8: £137,636 Examples of claims:

● Claimed £3,100 towards the cost of re-pointing the gables and walls at her constituency home in Crook, County Durham. She defended the work as essential maintenance and said hornets were getting into the cavity walls due to a problem with the infrastructure;

● £705 for a dishwasher for office staff in September 2005. This was reduced to £375 by officials;

● £341 for bedding in July 2004. She later said this was “justified”.

The former chief whip and cabinet minister paid back £5,000 to the Commons fees office for food despite her claims being above board. In the past, MPs could claim a maximum of £400 for food each month without providing receipts. Although the former cabinet minister’s claims amounted to less than that, about £150, she repaid the money, saying: “I paid money back for food before the Daily Telegraph reports. I claimed £150 a month, then, when the credit crunch came and people in the constituency were really struggling, I paid it back.” The former chief whip believes the expenses issue should be radically changed and handled by an independent body. "It shouldn’t be run by MPs, we shouldn’t have anything to do with pay or expenses. I don’t approve of us arranging our own expenses or our own pay, it should be done externally and I have believed that for a long time. For some MPs, it is absolutely right they should stand down. Some are going because they cannot put up with this any more. They are asking, is it worth having their lives picked over. I don’t think that is a good reason."

Dari Taylor, Labour, Stockton South

Expenses claimed:

2004-5: £139,123

2005-6: £146,111

2006-7: £159,178

2007-8: £157,106

Examples of claims:

● In 2004-5, £229.13 and £151.58 for “gold crested”

House of Commons greetings cards under the incidental expenses provision, which allows for MPs to claim for costs associated with running an office;

● £120 for bathroom and tiling work in March 2005, under the additional costs allowance;

● In May 2006, again under her additional costs allowance, she claimed £140 for cleaning, including dry cleaning, and £268 for a replacement dishwasher;

● An invoice dated June 28, 2007, shows she claimed for £350 worth of replacement windows at her Stockton office under the incidental expenses provision after they were shot at with an airgun pellet, rendering them unsafe.

Ms Taylor received warning letters over unpaid bills, her newly published expenses claims show. The Labour MP, who represents Stockton South, was in arrears at one stage with office solutions company Danwood, which supplies printing equipment. A letter, dated February 11, asks that she ensures payment of £189 is made within seven days and that arrangements are put in place to ensure that all future rentals are paid on time. The MP opened her books to The Northern Echo last month. Ms Taylor said she had done “nothing wrong” in her claims, but criticised other MPs and their lavish spending.

"Sometimes I will make a mistake and simply forget about them and put them in my drawer, but they have been paid. It is right that MPs addresses and banking details were not included, but they have blacked out so much that it makes it nonsensical for people. It is over the top."

Vera Baird, Labour, Redcar

Expenses claimed:

2004-5: £130,465

2005-6: £140,155

2006-7: £146,772

2007-8: £151,975

Examples of claims:

● in 2004/5 under her additional costs allowance she claimed £2,009 for work to fit a new boiler, along with £1,031 for a new beech floor and £1,008 for new laminate flooring;

● £102 for Egyptian bath towels, face clothes and a duvet and bed sheets;

● £534 for home furnishings, including £349 for a mosaic metal wall sculpture and two vases;

● in 2005/6 again under her additional costs allowance she claimed £6,437 for the replacement of a dilapidated front porch and £1,700 for the replacement of an old roof;

● But in the same period the MP had a £159 claim for flowers, along with £40 worth of mixed bulbs, rejected by the Commons Authorities;

● In 2006/7 Mrs Baird claimed £1,966 for replacement of “dilapidated” kitchen and garage windows. She also made a number of small claims for window cleaning;

● She also made a further claim for roof repairs at a cost of £2,173, in November 2006;

Mrs Baird did not return The Northern Echo’s call last night.

Sir Stuart Bell, Labour, Middlesbrough

Expenses claimed:

2004-5: £126,577

2005-6: £125,191

2006-7: £139,395

2007-8: £133,933

Examples of claims:

● £1,500 for research to help publish a pamphlet on the European Union Treaty;

● In December 2005, he attempted to put through a £750 bill for his monthly food costs for living in London. The claim was slashed to £400, the maximum that could be claimed without a recept;

● No claims for any furniture or white goods over the four years dating back to 2004;

● Monthly mortgage interest claims on his London home reached £1,397;

● Last year, with monthly telephone bills of up to £91.52 and cleaning bills of £200 a month.

Kevan Jones, Labour, North Durham

Expenses claimed:

2001-2: £106,996

2002-3: £124,370

2003-4: £121,180

2004-5: £128,459

2005-6: £144,246

2006-7: £149,713

2007-8: £160,365

Examples of claims:

● £9,450 for stamp duty associated with the purchase of a Westminster flat in 2004

●£250 for curtains

●£796.77 for carpets

"It’s right the public know how public money is spent. It’s important to recognise you need two homes if you represent North Durham. We do need a system for that. The system needs radical reform. Some individuals in all parties in some cases have been greedy and in other cases have been silly. I think independent oversight is important. We need somebody from outside looking at this. I think we’re going to move some legislation to do that."

■ Mr Jones did not claim the full amount paid for the carpets or curtains.

Helen Goodman, Labour, Bishop Auckland

Expenses claimed:

2004-5: £121,395

2005-6: £148,847

2006-7: £145,716

Examples of claims:

● £10,738.47 for house stamp duty and surveyor in February and March, 2006;

● On May 30, 2007, she received a summons for nonpayment of council tax of £1,773.51, however the £40 charge she incurred came out of her own pocket;

● £3,035.30 claimed for bathroom items between December 2005 and March 2006. Items included two soap dishes at £25 each and four linen baskets totaling £135;

● £2,630.87 claim in 2006 included sofas, a desk and curtains costing £1,210.73;

● £519.31 for spending a week at a cottage in her Teesdale constituency in August and September 2005;

● In March 2007, she was asked to repay £998.66 she was erroneously paid against her Additional Costs Allowance the previous month;

● £300 for portrait photograph in September 2007;

● £7.50 for an atlas between November 2006 and February 2007.

"I am pleased the expenses are now in the public domain and have been put there by the House of Commons, rather than a newspaper."

Alan Milburn, Labour, Darlington

Expenses claimed:

2004-5: £154,139

2005-6: £148,907

2006-7: £160,888

2007-8: £162,589

Examples of claims:

● £8,907.50, Darlington Constituency Labour Party for rent of offices from April 1, 2004, to May 5, 2006;

● £1,565.25, redecorating including paints and labour;

● £1,009 MDF Italia kitchen table and bench;

● £963.50, Taylor Rowlands Chartered Accountants for self assessment tax return;

● £634.51, French and Lamming Media for media consultancy;

● £570, coffee table and rug;

● £565 (of £739 total), six dining room chairs;

● £139, vacuum cleaner;

● £24.97, DVD player;

● £3.99, beer glass.

"I used to rent office space from Darlington Labour Party to run my constituency office. The rent I paid was independently assessed as a fair commercial rent. All of this information was given to the Fees Office under their rules. I believe that where there is wrongdoing it should be dealt with and the whole system of how MPs are renumerated needs to be drastically overhauled. I published my details on my website because I believe they are justifiable."

Phil Willis, Lib Dem, Harrogate & Knaresborough

Expenses claimed:

2007-8: £167,561

2006-7: £159,147

2005-6: £142,174

2004-5: £134,325

Examples of claims:

● March 2008, claimed £1700 for decorating new flat;

● October 2007, claimed £130 for bedding;

● March 2007, claimed £3,750.88 for fees, searches and stamp duty for new flat – £2,713 actually paid out;

● March 2007, claimed for £810.90 for household items, including £55 for a chrome bin, £55 for a set of four mixing bowls and £90 for a granite oval cocotte (a casserole dish);

● July 2006, claimed £141.30 to replace lampshades;

● May 2006, claimed £2,150 for decorating;

● May 2006, claimed £70 for an ironing board, £40 for a clothes rack and £35 for a kettle;

● March 2006, claimed £1,275 to rewire house ● November 2005, claimed £248 for bedding;

● May 2004, claimed £170 for chair covers and £80 for towels;

● Since 2004 has claimed £13,285 for food and £11,590 for cleaning costs.

"I wouldn’t have done anything different. I’m perfectly confident that all my expenses follow the rules and I always checked with the house authorities if I was unsure. It’s very clever to look at these things with hindsight but what is done is done. There have been some very positive letters and comments on websites. But the general feeling is one of disbelief and for many their faith in the Parliamentary system has been shaken and it will take a long time to recover, but recover it must."

■ Mr Willis had already announced his intention to stand down at the next General Election before the expenses scandal broke.

John Cummings, Labour, Easington

Expenses claimed:

2004-5: £138,064

2005-6: £146,731

2006-7: £153,319

2007-8: £156,044

Examples of claims:

● £578, television, video and CD player, April 2004;

● £113, bedding, April 2004;

● £169, cutlery, pans, kettle, April 2004

● £430, decoration, June 2004;

● £1,113, redecoration, November 2004;

● £2,036, new gas fire, February 2006;

● £3,220, kitchen/gas renewals, May 2006

● £1,344, decoration, January.

"Everything I have claimed is in accordance with the rules of the Green Book. They are subject to an independent audit and I await the results.

No questions have ever been raised with me, either verbally or in writing, by the Fees Office."

Anne McIntosh, Conservative, Vale of York

Expenses claimed:

2004-5 - £112,599

2005-6 - £104,139

2006-7 - £121,686

2007-8 - £133,116

Examples of claims:

● Regular monthly £100-£120 claims for gardening, thought to amount to about £5,000 in total;

● A £10 claim for mousetraps;

● A claim for £6.65 worth of Tetley Tea bags in March 2006;

● £2 for bleach in April 2004;

● £100 for a new telephone in January 2005;

● Correspondence included with the claims also show she had two council tax demand notices, amounting to £1,333 and another worth £1,273, both in 2007/8.

Miss McIntosh has previously said she is one of the lowest claimers in Parliament.

"All I claim for is purely to perform as an MP and parliamentarian."

* To check the expenses claims of your MP, visit parliament.uk/mpslordsandoffices/finances.cfm