SNP MP who forgot his phone... so had it couriered to London at taxpayers’ expense
A SENIOR Nationalist MP landed taxpayers with a £130 bill to transport his mobile phone 400 miles after he left it at home when travelling to Westminster.
Chris Stephens used the parliamentary expenses system to pay for a courier company to collect his phone from his Glasgow home and take it to London rather than pay for it himself.
Critics condemned the ‘outrageous’ claim by the Left-wing MP for forcing taxpayers to pay for his ‘forgetfulness’.
Mr Stephens is part of SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn’s frontbench team as levelling up spokesman. When contacted by the Mail yesterday, the Glasgow South West MP promised the money would be paid back to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), the body which manages Westminster’s expenses scheme.
Newly published records show Mr Stephens made the claim of £129.88 on December 12, 2022. The description of the claim states: ‘Courier for MP’s mobile as was left in Glasgow and needed for debate tomorrow.’
Annie Wells, Conservative MSP for the Glasgow region, said: ‘Chris Stephens has some brass neck expecting the taxpayer to pick up the tab for his forgetfulness. “Public pay for SNP incompetence” is a familiar headline – but there’s no justification for it in this instance.
‘Chris Stephens must reimburse the authorities immediately and apologise for submitting this outrageous claim in the first place.’
Christine Jardine, Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West and the party’s Scottish affairs spokesman, said: ‘It’s utterly outrageous that Chris Stephens expects the taxpayer to foot the bill for his disorganisation. He’ll be claiming for losing his keys next.
‘Across the UK, millions are looking at their bank balances and working out where to cut back. They don’t have the luxury of charging someone else for screw-ups.
‘People want to see every penny in the public purse spent on vital public services like the NHS, not spent on first-class couriers for Chris Stephens’ mobile.’
When asked about the expense claim, Mr Stephens said he would pay the money back. He said: ‘Basically, I left my mobile in the house and I couldn’t contact folk. I am paying it back.
‘I’m paying it back on the basis that I accept it was my fault, I left the phone so I’m paying it back.’
Asked why he claimed it on expenses instead of paying it himself in the first place, Mr Stephens said: ‘Well, it was to get something from A to B and my office arranged it, so it was as simple as that.’
Mr Stephens told his staff at the time of the claim that he would pay the money back to IPSA.
Conor Holohan, media campaign manager of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘Taxpayers should not be on the hook for the cost of Mr Stephens’ brain-fade.’
A spokesman for IPSA said the claim was accepted and paid to Mr Stephens because courier services are a valid cost that can be claimed through the expenses system.
The spokesman also confirmed that, as of yesterday morning, there was no agreement in place for the money to be repaid by the MP.
Mr Stephens’ office has now submitted a repayment form to IPSA in relation to the expense and the money will be returned.
‘He will claim for losing his keys next’