£13.50: That’s total claimed as MSPs make just 3 bus trips
GLASGOW MSPs claimed for just three bus trips in expenses in the whole of the last year.
Only two of the city’s 15 MSPs put in expense claims for bus travel totalling just £13.50.
The MSPs spent more than £5,000 cash on taxis and motor car mileage.
None of the Glasgow MSPs claimed for bike journeys, even though they can.
In contrast to the low bus spend, the city’s representatives spent almost £2000 on taxi trips.
SNP Cathcart MSP James Dornan accounted for almost half the cab total, with a taxi bill of £977 for the year. Many were between the MSP’s home and Queen Street Station.
Many MSPs also claimed for trips from Waverley Station, Edinburgh, to the Scottish Parliament, which is 0.6 miles away.
The bus claims were submitted by Conservative Adam Tomkins, who claimed for two trips totalling £10.30 – one from the airport to the city centre and one from Scotstoun to the city – and Green MSP Patrick Harvie, who claimed for one trip at £3.20.
The MSPs racked up £3,485 in motor mileage claims.
Labour’s Pauline McNeill claimed £1,464 for car trips, while party colleague Anas Sarwar claimed £1,234 in mileage.
In total, the 15 Glasgow MSPs claimed £302,616 for the year. This was mostly for hotel costs in Edinburgh and travel, either by rail or car, to go to the capital and for getting around in their constituencies.
The total hotel bill was almost £70,000, with rooms coming in at around £100 a night.
Another £1,152 was claimed for hotel evening meals because many MSPs stay over midweek in Edinburgh while Parliament it sitting.
In total, the country’s 129 MSPs claimed just £861 on public transport compared to £16,396 on taxis and £218,000 on motor miles.
In 2018-19 the total costs reimbursed to or paid on behalf of members, or borne by the Scottish Parliament Corporate Bureau on behalf of MSPs was £16.8million – an increase of 3.98 per cent on the previous year.
This represents the total cost for carrying out parliamentary duties, employing staff and the running of a local office.
A Scottish Parliament spokesman said: “Details of all MSPs expenses are published on the Parliament’s searchable database and in an open data format.” POPE Francis opened a divisive meeting on preserving the Amazon and ministering to its indigenous peoples as he fended off attacks from conservatives opposed to his ecological agenda.
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