Birmingham’s most expensive MP revealed
SHABANA Mahmood is the most expensive MP in Birmingham this year – after claiming more than £55,000 in expenses.
Between January and June 2018, the MP for Birmingham Ladywood claimed £55,005 on expenses, for items ranging from train tickets to stationery.
Her largest category of expense was staffing costs, which were responsible for more than half (£32,928) of the amount claimed.
These included fees for constituency management and casework follow up.
Some £1,478 went on stationery, £1,490 went on train fares, and £1,473 went to British Gas for powering her office.
The second most expensive MP in the city was Edgbaston’s Preet Gill, who claimed £38,379 over the same period.
Some £13,000 of that went on rent, £4,248 went on office equipment (including £14.87 on a small whiteboard), and £3,441 went on stationery.
Liam Byrne claimed £27,822, Jess Phillips claimed £26,630 and Richard Burden claimed £19,528.
On the other hand, Roger Godsiff only claimed a total of £7,506, making him the cheapest MP (of those that claimed) in Birmingham.
The largest chunk of that went on a new laptop and desktop computer (£2,097).
The average cost of expenses claimed so far this year is £16,964 per MP. That makes a total £11 million claimed by all MPs since January. Most of the money is spent on office costs (£5.5 million), while the second highest category is accommodation (£3.6 million).