MPs spent nearly £640,000 on additional security measures in the four months following the killing of the Labour MP Jo Cox, according to figures released by parliament’s expenses watchdog.
Figures show that £637,791.63 was spent through the security assistance budget of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) from 16 June to the end of October, four times as much as in the whole of the previous year.
Cox was killed outside her constituency surgery in Birstall, near Leeds, in front of her staff and shocked residents on 16 June. Thomas Mair, 53, stands accused of repeatedly shooting and stabbing the 41-year-old remain campaigner a week before the EU referendum vote.
The statistics released by Ipsa show a huge increase on the total £160,000 spent on security for MPs in the 2015-16 financial year, which itself was more than double the £77,000 in the previous year.
The body said 124 applications for “lone worker” devices had been approved for MPs and their staff since 16 June and 66 MPs had been granted “enhanced security packages”.
In total, MPs were paid £113.6m for expenses and business costs by Ipsa – up from £106m in 2014-15. This figure does not include security spending, or the £172,600 for disability assistance.
The watchdog said the increase on the previous year could be attributed to the one-off costs of winding up MPs’ offices after the 2015 general election and starting up new ones.
The money included more than £80.2m on staffing, £11.2m on office costs, £7.2m on accommodation, £4.8m on travel and £10m on “other costs”.
The spending watchdog has altered its procedures for sign-off on new security measures after criticism from MPs after Cox’s killing.
MPs no longer have to get two quotes for prices from locksmiths if they seek to change the locks on constituency offices and homes, a move designed to quicken the approval process.
