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Nottingham Post

National

Joseph Locker

Nottinghamshire MPs expenses so far this year revealed by standards agency

Darren Henry Landline Nottinghamshire Alex Norris Internet Lee Anderson Nadia Whittome Tom Randall Ben Bradley Brendan ClarkeSmith

The parliamentary standards agency has published just what Nottinghamshire MPs have claimed on expenses so far this year. The official figures come after the Tax Payers' Alliance revealed Broxtowe's Conservative MP Darren Henry had claimed the most in expenses in the entire country last year.

In 2020/21 the average cost of an MP was £203,880, a 29.2% increase from the average £157,747 spent in 2019/20, the Tax Payers' Alliance had said. Mr Henry had claimed more than £280,000 in expenses, compared to the least expensive MP, Philip Hollobone, for Kettering, who claimed £80,709.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Agency (IPSA) keeps a tab on what MPs have been spending on business costs, including travel, staffing and accommodation. And the agency has now revealed what Nottinghamshire's MPs have claimed so far in the 2021/22 financial year.

1. Darren Henry - £15,600.14

2. Ruth Edwards - £10,896.46

3. Lilian Greenwood - £10,261.18

4. Mark Spencer - £10,254.70

5. Alex Norris - £9,770.95

6. Robert Jenrick - £9,629.75

7. Brendan Clarke-Smith - £7,876.16

8. Tom Randall - £6,294.18

9. Nadia Whittome - £5,865.47

10. Ben Bradley - £5,431.60

11. Lee Anderson - £3,145.03

Each MP has had their expenses broken down. They are as follows:

Tom Randall, Conservative, Gedling:

Accommodation

£1,266.75

MP Travel

£345.00

Office Costs

£1,676.03 (TOTAL)

Advertising and contact cards

£313.50

Equipment - purchase

£609.59

Landline phone & internet - rental & usage

£229.18

Stationery & printing

£310.75

Utilities

£213.01

Staff Travel

£14.40

Staffing

£2,992.00

Total: £6,294.18

Speaking of his expenses, Mr Randall told Nottinghamshire Live: "Last year, my office received 13,500 emails from constituents on casework issues and policy queries. So far this year, my office has received 6,500 emails.

"The Staffing and Business Costs that have been published have been used purely to help me help my constituents, including employing staff to help my constituents, running a constituency office and for my parliamentary duties to enable me to represent Gedling. Every penny spent under Staffing and Business Costs is taxpayers’ money, must be approved by an independent outside body and I am very cautious in how that budget is spent."

Lilian Greenwood, Labour, Nottingham South:

Accommodation

£3,483.32

MP Travel

£97.17

Office Costs

£6,680.69 (TOTAL)

Equipment - hire

£23.40

Insurance - contents

£525.00

Landline phone & internet - rental & usage

£594.00

Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs

£2,389.80

Pooled Staffing Services

£1,050.00

Rent

£1,800.00

Stationery & printing

£17.99

TV licence

£157.50

Training - MP

£123.00

Total: £10,261.18

Alex Norris, Labour, Nottingham North:

Accommodation

£4,962.08

Office Costs

£4,808.87 (TOTAL)

Cleaning services

£15.00

Landline phone & internet - installation & equipment purchase

£132.32

Landline phone & internet - rental & usage

£143.49

Pooled Staffing Services

£4,200.00

Software & applications

£85.00

Utilities

£186.30

Waste disposal, confidential waste & rubbish collection

£46.76

Total: £9,770.95

Mr Norris said: "It’s important that there’s transparency and that all details of MPs expenses are made publicly. Mine go on a fully-staffed office in Bulwell and accommodation to allow me to represent our community in London during the week."

Nadia Whittome, Labour, Nottingham East:

Accommodation

£1,266.68

Office Costs

£4,598.79 (TOTAL)

Business rates

£335.00

Pooled Staffing Services

£4,200.00

Utilities

£63.79

Total: £5,865.47

Ms Whittome said: "MP's expenses cover a whole range of things: from our staff, to our offices, to travel and accommodation. The vast majority of my expenses last year were to pay for my incredible staff who help people in Nottingham East, day in day out, with everything from housing problems, to immigration casework, to securing school places for their children. They also went towards setting up my office in Mansfield Road, where members of my team work and constituents regularly visit to receive help and advice.

"I remain committed to taking home £35,000 after tax of my £84,144 salary, and donating the remainder to local causes."

Darren Henry, Conservative, Broxtowe:

Accommodation

£5,631.66

Office Costs

£3,773.39 (TOTAL)

Bought-in services

£665.00

Cleaning services

£108.00

Equipment - purchase

£764.67

Insurance - contents

£303.24

Mobile telephone - contract & usage

£212.23

Postage & couriers

£111.20

Rent

£1,120.00

Stationery & printing

£68.43

Utilities

£420.62

Staff Travel

£22.59

Staffing

£6,172.50

Total: £15,600.14

Speaking of the expenses Mr Henry said: "As usual my expenses during this period were spent on: staffing, office costs, staff travel and accommodation. They are broken down on my IPSA page and all in the public domain."